Invitation to the Shriners Children’s Annual Presentation on Orthopaedics
UNIC Health and Shriners Children’s invite you to the Annual Shriners Children’s Scientific Presentation on Orthopaedics.
Programme
Amer Samdani, M.D.
Amer F. Samdani is Clinical Professor (Adjunct) of Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He also serves as the Chief of Surgery at Shriners Children’s – Philadelphia. Dr Samdani is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
He completed his undergraduate degree with honours from Columbia University in New York, NY. He went on to earn his medical degree from Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, MD.
Following this, he undertook neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins and later a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Among Prof Samdani’s academic honours are his membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honour Medical Society, the Alfred Blalock Research Award for Residents at Johns Hopkins, and an outstanding poster at the Congress of Neurosurgeons.
He has received both the Edgar Dawson Traveling Fellowship and the Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship by the Scoliosis Research Society. Prof Samdani has coedited three textbooks and has co-authored 53 book chapters as well as 280 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He serves on the Executive Committee for the Harms Study Group and the Children’s Spine Study Group. Additionally, he leads the Shrine Spine Surgeons group, which is comprised of spine surgeons from Shriners Hospitals who research various topics in spine deformity treatment. Clinically, Prof Samdani’s specializes in complex pediatric spine deformities, particularly focusing on fusionless treatments for scoliosis, as well as neuromuscular diseases.
David Westberry, M.D.
Dr Westberry grew up in a small town in Georgia, where he was introduced to the field of orthopaedic surgery by a local surgeon. During his residency, he felt fortunate to spend a part of his training at Shriners Children’s where he was able to witness the skills of the providers and learn about the mission of the institution. As a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Westberry cares for children of all ages, collaborates within a healthcare team to provide care to families, and celebrates the victories and successes of each of Shriners patient.
He serves as the Medical Director of the Shriners Children’s Greenville Motion Analysis Center, a technology that provides valuable information about a child’s walking pattern, enabling the team to make informed treatment decisions to improve gait. Additionally, he oversees the limb deficiency programme, providing surgical care and prosthetic needs for children with limb deficiencies.
David feels fortunate to be able to travel to many countries providing orthopaedic care and medical knowledge to those in more challenging circumstances.
Brock McConkey, CPO
Growing up in Vero Beach, Florida, Brock enjoyed woodworking with his father, constructing Legos and learning the art of glassblowing. After high school, a chance call from the owner of a local prosthetics and orthotics lab would end up charting his course for the future. As he recalled, “I had no idea what prosthetic or orthotic was, but it sounded really cool.”
Brock worked part time fabricating prosthetics, but his goal was to work with people.
“One day my boss told me I could stay in the back and build things, but if I wanted to see patients I would have to go to school,” he said. “I realized I could do this work anywhere in the world, and it just felt right.”
Brock attended California State University, Dominguez Hills, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in health science with a focus in prosthetics and orthotics. He was first introduced to the Shriners Children’s healthcare system while in California. As a student, he visited hospitals in Los Angeles and Sacramento. “I really fell in love with Shriners Children’s,” Brock recalled. “I wanted to be a part of the unique and challenging cases that they were treating.”
When a prosthetist/orthotist position opened up at the Shriners Children’s location in Springfield, Massachusetts, Brock jumped at the opportunity. “The job description included travel to international clinics four times a year,” he recalled. “I saw that and knew it was perfect for me.” He interviewed in California, and without ever visiting the Springfield location or spending time in the Northeast, accepted an offer and moved across the country.