"In Brazil, open spine surgery is still widespread. There are very few doctors and medical institutions that can learn minimally invasive techniques and treat patients, which is why I think Korea’s spine therapy technology is amazing."
Dr. Breno Frota Siqueira, an orthopedic surgeon at a Brazilian orthopedic hospital called Centro Ortopedico de Brasilia, remarked recently after participating in the 93rd “MISS course program” at Gangnam Wooridul Hospital강남우리들병원.
The MISS course program is a training session on minimally invasive spine therapy techniques that provide lectures, observation visits, and a hands-on workshop to practice with a spinal model.
Sixteen spine specialists from Brazil, India, Taiwan and Hong Kong attended the 93rd MISS course program, which began on Aug. 28. To provide a curriculum tailored to the needs of the participants, organizers limited the number of recruiters to five to six, most of whom were applicants from last year.
Since its inception in 2004, 331 specialists from 37 countries have attended the program and an additional 650 people from fellowships and surgery observerships. The numbers are small because the cost of the program is high and it is strictly designed for doctors who already have professional qualifications.
"After learning about Wooridul hospital in Korea, I looked up for information about the program and the hospital,” said Dr. Siddhartha Shankar Sahoo, a neurosurgeon at Care Hospital in India, who participated in the MISS course program. “I saw many papers and lectures, and I was convinced of the excellent technology of Wooridul hospital, and I came here."
Bae Joon-seok배준석, director of Gangnam Wooridori Hospital, who educates foreign doctors, said, "Most of the doctors attending MISS course program are here by the recommendation and encouragement from their colleagues. In recent years, there have been more participants who want to stay for up to four weeks in addition to their education period and want to receive more education. For my pride in Korean medicine, I will do my best to develop and transfer skills."