Each week a growing community of spine surgeons from around the world meet together to discuss spine cases. Of course, in these unprecedented times this is all happening on Zoom. The Virtual Global Spine Conference, led by Dr. Ali Baaj, Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director of the Spinal Defomrity and Scoliosis Program here at the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center.
Dr. Baaj’s initiative has led to a meeting of many minds. One month later, there are now 1,200 attendees from over 40 countries with more joining in with each session.
He credits the chairman of the Neurological Surgery department, Dr. Philip E. Stieg for advocating for global neurosurgery health and educational initiatives. (Read more about our Global Neurosurgery CME which took place in 2019.)
Dr. Baaj also credits his co-founders for the strength of this initiative: Dr. John H. Shin from Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Khoi D. Than from Duke, Dr. Wende N. Gibbs, from Mayo Clinic, Dr. Griffin R. Baum from Northwell Health, and Dr. Jonathan Rasouli, from Cleveland Clinic. “A lot of folks in our field recognized the names and institutions, which gave us instant credibility,” says Dr. Baaj.
For a full write-up of the Virtual Global Spine Conference, you can also read its spotlight feature on the spine website SpineUniverse.
You can register for the Virtual Global Spine Conference by clicking here. It is open to all, from neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists.