Strengthening Local Health Systems Through Shared Learning: Highlights from the 2025 Medical Education Symposiums
This December, One World Surgery (OWS), in partnership with Optum, hosted two transformative Medical Education Symposiums in the Dominican Republic and Honduras—continuing our commitment to investing in local health capacity and advancing high-quality, sustainable care across the communities we serve.
Designed to empower local physicians, nurses, and health professionals, these annual symposiums bring global medical experts together with local leaders to strengthen clinical knowledge, enhance collaboration, and expand access to world-class professional development. This year’s events delivered an inspiring mix of lectures, interactive workshops, and hands-on training sessions that reinforced OWS’s long-term vision: creating strong, locally led health systems built to last.
Advancing Professional Education in the Dominican Republic
OWS’s Dominican Republic Medical Education Symposium gathered 43 local health professionals, including physicians, nurses, and allied health staff. With a diverse and dynamic agenda, attendees explored some of the most pressing topics in community health today:
- Nutrition and chronic disease prevention
- Wellness and the role of joy in long-term health
- Diabetes education and management
- Immunodeficiency in older adults
- Integrated gerontology care and aging-focused health systems
The symposium emphasized active learning, featuring highly interactive sessions that encouraged collaboration among participants from multiple disciplines. The day culminated in a professional panel with four Dominican providers and one U.S. clinician, highlighting shared experiences and practical strategies for improving patient outcomes across the region.
Hands-On Learning and Clinical Skills Development in Honduras
In Honduras, 55 clinicians, including physicians and registered nurses from rural health centers and the capital city, joined for one of our most comprehensive symposiums to date.
This year, the agenda focused on high-need, high-impact topics relevant to both primary and specialty care:
- Hypertension management
- Heart failure detection and treatment
- Basic electrocardiogram interpretation
- Pediatric knee pain management
- Blood pressure measurement workshops
- Blood glucose testing and metabolic imbalance management labs
A team of six expert speakers, including two from the U.S. and four from Honduras—among them one of OWS’s own orthopedic fellows—led sessions designed to build practical skills and strengthen clinical confidence. From plenary lectures to interactive case discussions to hands-on skills labs, the symposium provided a full spectrum of medical education tailored to local needs.
One of the most inspiring moments came during the opening remarks from presenter Dra. Tatiana Tsvetkova, who shared:
“It is truly an honor to be here in Honduras: a country where the warmth of its people is felt even before the warm weather, and where the heart of every person beats with strength, resilience, and hope… I stand before you not only as a cardiologist, but as an immigrant whose life is shaped by resilience, by hard work, and more than anything by education. That is why I believe so deeply in connection, in collaboration, in shared learning… because they change lives. They changed mine.”
Her words set the tone for a day centered on empowerment, professional growth, and shared purpose.
A Partnership Dedicated to Sustainable Impact
Both events were made possible through One World Surgery’s ongoing partnership with Optum, whose commitment to health education and equitable global care plays a vital role in building long-term solutions across our surgical centers.
As OWS continues expanding medical and surgical services in Honduras and the Dominican Republic, the need for high-quality local training has never been more important. The 2025 Medical Education Symposiums exemplify what’s possible when global partners, local clinicians, and mission-driven organizations work hand in hand.
Together, we are building stronger health systems.
Together, we are empowering local leaders.
Together, we are transforming lives.