Oct. 28, 2024
The Orthotics and Prosthetics Program in Baylor College of Medicine’s School of Health Professions hosted the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics’ first North American Global Educators Meeting from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24, 2024 on the College’s main campus in Houston.
During the fourth GEM, 114 attendees from across six continents engaged in free paper and symposia sessions, sponsorship presentations and robust discussions about the needs and strategies of orthotic and prosthetic education. Each day of the event focused on a different topic: Innovate, collaborate and educate.
Dr. Todd Reinhart, dean of the School of Health Professions, provided a welcome message to the attendees during the Opening Ceremony on “Day 1: Innovate” in addition to Executive Vice President and Dean of Clinical Affairs Dr. James McDeavitt.
Reinhart extended his gratitude to the meeting’s committee members for their hard work in planning the event. He also thanked the attendees for their commitment to international health professions education and for preparing students to become exceptional healthcare providers.
“I’m certain we will all agree that health professions education is such a critical piece of providing accessible, quality and equitable care across the globe,” Reinhart said. “Without dedicated educators like you, the system suffers. And most importantly, patients and communities suffer.”
Dr. Teri Turner, professor of pediatrics at Baylor, delivered the keynote speech for “Day 1: Innovate.” Turner discussed techniques educators could use to transform their work into scholarship. The second keynote speaker was Bryan Malas, director of the Department of Orthotics/Prosthetics Department and Moria Tobin Wickes Orthotics Program at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Malas shared approaches for influencing students, education and policy on “Day 3: Educate.”
Dr. Ashley Mullen, chair of the Local Organizing Committee for GEM 2024 and program director of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Program at Baylor, said Turner and Malas’ speeches were engaging and resulted in thoughtful discussion and reflection on the importance of scholarship and professional advocacy through educational standards among attendees. She found the speeches to be integral to the success of the biennial event.
“The Global Educators Meeting was a wonderful opportunity for educators to share best practices, discuss solutions to challenges and engage in professional networking,” Mullen said. “Through our efforts, we can help contribute to the global recognition of orthotics and prosthetics as a healthcare profession.”
Attendees also participated in a student-guided tour of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Program’s facilities.
