VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – This week, more than a hundred doctors and residents from around the globe will simultaneously gather at four U.S. universities and medical schools, including Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, Va., to enhance and learn new surgical techniques that will allow them to better address the surgical needs of patients in their home countries.

The hands-on educational training courses are part of Operation Smile’s NEXT Global Summit. At EVMS, 30 participants from 15 countries, including Madagascar, Ethiopia and Thailand will use cadavers to practice flap plastic surgery techniques.  Flap plastic surgery can be used for patients who have suffered a traumatic injury resulting in skin being torn and a “flap” of skin from somewhere else on the body being used to repair the tear.

Additionally, a total of 15 participants from 8 countries, including Malawi, Ecuador and Brazil, will take part in an ultrasound training course at EVMS. Attendees will focus on using cadavers and live human subjects to look inside the body and examine abnormalities like pancreatic tumors and muscular fractures. Participants will also focus on the practice of ultrasound guided injections.

“We are thrilled to host such a terrific event and share our excitement regarding how point-of-care ultrasound is changing the practice of medicine," said Dr. Craig Goodmurphy, Director of the Human Anatomy Programs at EVMS. 

Participants are members of Operation Smile’s international network of credentialed surgical volunteers.  The flap course at EVMS will take place on May 19 and May 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The ultrasound training is scheduled for May 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

About NEXT Global Summit 

Operation Smile’s 2016 NEXT Global Summit will convene May 19 to 26. In the largest gathering of medical volunteers, board members, foundation staff, and community supporters in the organization’s history, 550 participants from 42 countries will meet in Virginia Beach, Va. The global team will collaborate across groups and contribute to the formation of innovative solutions in providing safe, well-timed, and effective surgical care to Operation Smile patients. The summit will also include MediCon; a series of hands-on medical training courses made possible by Operation Smile in partnership with leading universities and medical schools across the country.

About Operation Smile

Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. It is one of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide through access to surgical care. Since 1982, Operation Smile has developed expertise in mobilizing volunteer medical teams to conduct surgical missions in resource-poor environments while adhering to the highest standards of care and safety. Operation Smile helps to fill the gap in providing access to safe, well-timed surgeries by partnering with hospitals, governments and ministries of health, training local medical personnel, and donating much-needed supplies and equipment to surgical sites around the world. Founded and based in Virginia, U.S., Operation Smile has extended its global reach to more than 60 countries through its network of credentialed surgeons, pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and student volunteers.