As I sat down to write my column, the news flashed a special report that a new pope had been chosen. While this was most impactful to the Catholic community, what I found most notable was the gathering of so many people from multiple countries and cultures with a common sense of celebration and unity—even as they waved flags maintaining their own national identities. As individuals in the group spoke to reporters, they talked about the sense of community as they shared perspectives with people from other areas of the world in anticipation of the announcement. Similarly, when people gather at global O&P conferences or competitions, or through humanitarian work, they find common purpose as they exchange ideas informed by their own lived experiences.
“Better Together: Pooling Global Knowledge” looks at a variety of avenues that allow O&P professionals to connect with colleagues from around the world to collaborate on projects and inspire innovation. While conferences such as the biennial International Society for Orthotics and Prosthetics World Congress and OT World offer opportunities for practitioners, researchers, and educators to present their work and often to connect on projects that extend beyond the event, competitions like Cybathlon demonstrate technological advances in real-world scenarios beyond the innovators’ borders.
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