Putting Care Within Reach: Mentorship Is Shaping a New Generation of Surgeons 

Two doctors pour over a digital tablet looking at a close-up image of a child with an atypical cleft condition. “We are going to open this area, here,” says Valeri Paredes, D.D.S., a maxillofacial surgeon and medical volunteer with Operation Smile who is training another doctor, his mentee, Ivania Santos, D.D.S. “We are going to join this area here,” he says, pointing to the screen. The case is unusual — a bilateral cleft lip with a large protrusion on the lip — but the lessons being passed back and forth from mentor to mentee, are not.  

“My relationship with my mentee is very deep, very intense in terms of knowledge and sharing knowledge because not only do I teach, but they also teach me something,” explains Paredes.  

With more than 6,000 volunteers around the world and close partnerships with health care systems and universities around the world, Operation Smile fosters two-sided mentorships opportunities between local and international volunteers. These mentorships create hands-on training opportunities, especially in regions where specialty education isn’t available — such as Guatemala, which has no plastic surgery training program available.

Most aspiring plastic surgeons there must travel abroad to complete their training. This training is at the core of its Operation100 strategy, which aims to bring care closer to the communities we serve by breaking down barriers such as distance, shortages of health professionals and lack of infrastructure. By investing in provider training and strengthening local health systems, we can help ensure that safe, skilled surgery is accessible to everyone.

“Through mentorship, we believe we can transform more lives, increase our impact and be able to reach our patients in a timely manner,” says Beatriz Vidal, regional director of Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru for Operation Smile.  

Santos explains how this concept directly impacts her work. “Here in Guatemala, there is no plastic surgery training program. Most surgeons have to travel to other countries to train. So, for us Guatemalans it is very important to have people committed to training us.” 

Her mentor, Paredes, agrees. After completing the surgery with Santos by his side, Paredes expresses his pride in this mentee. “She is a very good surgeon. She is progressing quickly,” he says, adding. “We must train high quality surgeons. Not just produce a certain quantity of surgeons out of necessity but quality surgeons, so they can solve problems in their localities, their communities or their countries.”  

For Santos, the goal is simple.  “I always wanted to be a part of an organization like Operation Smile, because it is a way for me to use my profession to help the community, my country, the people.” 

Learn more about Operation Smile and its educational programs.