OUM was front and center in its beautiful home of Samoa the last week in September. Thanks to all the students, faculty, and staff who made it a memorable visit for so many.
Before the Gold Coast Medical Association (GCMA) Samoan Medical Conference began, Professor Paddy Dewan, Dean for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, traveled to Samoa with his Kind Cuts for Kids organization which, since 1993, has treated over 4,500 children around the world. This recent trip to Samoa was Professor Dewan’s 140th trip and he said he can “confidently state that it was one of the MOST successful.”
In Samoa at TTM Hospital, while training physicians, staff, and students, Professor Dewan and the local team saw 18 children and operated on 11.
The group’s goal is to improve the lives of children by conducting a range of surgical procedures which are not readily available in many of the countries they visit. While there, they also train local doctors and health care professionals with the goal of creating self-sufficiency in conducting these procedures within each country.
“Remarkable gathering of minds,” said the GCMA President
Next on the week’s agenda was the GCMA Samoan Medical Conference, 29-30 September at the Taumeasina Island Resort in Apia.
123 delegates — doctors, medical students, and other health professionals — attended the conference, including speakers from the United Kingdom and Australia, plus seven doctors from American Samoa, their first time attending a medical conference in Independent Samoa.
GCMA leadership expressed their gratitude for “the unwavering support and partnership of Oceania University of Medicine, the Samoan Medical Association, the Samoan Ministry of Health, and the National University of Samoa in bringing the conference to fruition.
Conference organizers were especially delighted to welcome a multitude of senior medical students to this event, noting that “Your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn are a beacon of hope for the future of medicine, and we hope this conference will be a pivotal step in your journey towards excellence.” OUM is proud that many current students, faculty, and graduates were in attendance, as well as many of the Samoan physicians who so tirelessly pass on their knowledge to our students during their clinical rotations at TTM Hospital. (See Conference photos below.)
(October 2023)
