Humans are inherently social creatures. For centuries we’ve learnt to survive, adapt and overcome through collaboration and unity. Medicine, in particular, highlights the value of taking input from multiple specialities and healthcare professionals to optimise patient care. However, with the power of modern technology, does this collaboration need to be confined to a single hospital? Why shouldn’t we collaborate with experts from around the world? Intersurgeon.org aims to establish a new paradigm to ensure the standard of clinical care is high no matter the setting. By harnessing the knowledge of over 600 specialities worldwide, this free service drives the pursuit of equitable and safe surgery. Join us as we dive deeper into the work of Paediatric Neurosurgeon Dr James “Jim” Johnston, co-founder of Intersurgeon with Guest Host Daniel Lowe a passionate Medical Student from Australia as we discuss how to facilitate regional LMIC collaboration and the value of ‘coral reef’ networking.
Dr Jim Johnston: Paediatric Neurosurgeon, Co-founder of Intersurgeon
USA
“Coral Reef Networking, Facilitating regional LMIC collaboration, Perseverance. Cost-Effective Solutions”
Daniel Lowe: Medical Student from Australia, InciSioN Australasia Chair, ASSC Co-Convenor 2022, Production Manager at Global Scalpels
Australia
Dr Jim Johnston is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Director of Global Surgery at Children’s of Alabama. With William Harkness, he co-founded InterSurgeon.org, a website established to facilitate collaborations between healthcare providers and non-governmental organizations worldwide. InterSurgeon currently has over 700 members in 95+ countries, representing a wide breadth of surgical specialties, anesthesia and obstetrics. InterSurgeon is currently partnered with OhanaOne to establish virtual collaborations for surgical training in 25 sites worldwide using smart glasses and augmented reality software.
Daniel Lowe is a 4th-year medical student from Bond University, Australia. He’s the 2022 ASSC Co-Convenor, Chair of InciSioN Australasia and Production Manager of ‘Global Scalpels’ . His passion for Global Surgery stemmed from annual visits to his family’s village Sri Lanka while growing up, where he saw the disparities in healthcare face-to-face. This subconscious passion snowballed and lead to him working for an international charity, becoming Vice President of the Bond University Surgical Society and joining LifeBox GSA’s Emergency Medicine Student Research Group. Outside of medicine, Daniel loves his guitar, rowing, rock climbing, dumplings, adventure and travel.