I just returned from a trip to Porto Viejo Ecuador. This was a Visiting Educator ( VE ) trip sponsored by Resurge( Interplast). The purpose of this trip was to work alongside residents in Plastic Surgery from the University of Guayaquil and to help teach them techniques in cleft lip and palate repairs. Visiting educator programs also exist in the united States. Professors from one university travel to others and lecture as well as sometimes operate alongside the residents to expose the residents to different techniques and skills. It is a privilege to be invited to participate in such a program. I was very impressed with the caliber of the residents and I must admit the exposure to different types of cases and the compexities of the cases they see is beyond what most residents in the United States see in their training. As alwyas I get so much more from these trips than I give. I am lucky to be able to participate in programs such as these.
