Surgeons travel to Sri Lanka to teach, share knowledge

Mary McCarthy, professor and chair of the Department of Surgery.

Two professors from the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine traveled to Sri Lanka this summer to teach residents and surgeons about the latest developments in trauma and minimally invasive surgery. This is first time that American surgeons have taught surgery at the University of Jaffna in Sri Lanka.

Mary McCarthy, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Surgery, and Joon Shim, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, spoke at the northern chapter of the Sri Lankan Association of Surgeons in June. They joined Siva Vithiananthan, M.D., associate professor of surgery at Brown Medical School, and Thav Thambi-Pillai, M.D., who was previously at Wright State University.

McCarthy represented the American College of Surgeons and taught trauma, global surgery, trauma evaluation and management, and focused assessment with sonography for trauma to medical students, residents and physicians. Shim and Vithiananthan taught advanced minimally invasive surgery and performed cases in the operating room with local surgeons.

Shim spoke about minimally invasive surgery in abdominal trauma. She also talked about women in surgery and her experience as a trauma surgeon in Afghanistan. Shim served as an active-duty Army surgeon for four years and completed two tours as a combat trauma surgeon for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Joon Shim, assistant professor of surgery.

Shim found the trip to be an eye-opening experience and an opportunity to learn from one another.

“I saw how surgery functions in Sri Lanka,” she said. “Emerging technology is possible in Sri Lanka.”

Wright State became an independent institution in 1967 and has grown into an innovative leader in the Dayton region and beyond, capturing the spirit of the university’s namesakes, Wilbur and Orville Wright, who invented the world’s first successful airplane from their Dayton bicycle shop. It celebrates its 50th anniversary as an independent public university in 2017, culminating with a special Homecoming celebration Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.