Observerships

2024

• The Philippines - Host: Dr. Bernie Laya @ t St Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City and Global City.   
• Serbia - Host: Dr. Jovan Lovrenski @ University of Novi Grad
• Chile - Host: Dr. Cristian Garcia @ Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago.  
• India -  Host: Dr. Anmol Bhatia @ Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. 
• Argentina - Host: Prof. José Lipsich @ el Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" en Buenos Aires.

2023

• The Philippines - Host: Dr. Bernie Laya at St Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City and Global City.  Observer: Ella Marri Balleras Rojo, MD 
• Chile - Host: Dr. Cristian Garcia at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago.  Observer: Clara Alejandra Vidaurre Herrera, MD
• India -  Host - Dr. Akshay Saxena at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. Observer: Sanjeev Gowda, MBBS, MD

2022

• Chile  -  Host: Dr. Cristian Garcia at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago.  Observer: Vânia Marisa Cabrá Mauaie.
• Philippines - Host: Dr. Bernie Laya at St Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City and Global City.  Observer: Justin Luke Yap. 
• India - Host - Dr. Kushalijt Sodhi at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. Observer: Mrinal Matish 

2021

On hiatus due to COVID Pandemic 

2020

December 2019 - February 2020: the 4th program was held at the SAMIC Pediatric Hospital "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" in Buenos Aires, Argentina, under the guidance of the Prof. José Lipsich.  Observer, Dr. Leticia Gadea is pictured with the Department (left) . 

March  - June 2020: the 5th program was held at PGIMER in Chandigarh, India under the mentorship of Dr. K. Sodhi.   Left to right -- Dr. Anmol Bhatia , Dr. Anand Muthiah (observer), Dr. Kushaljit Singh Sodhi (Mentor) and Dr. Pratyaksha Rana. 

2019

April - June, 2019 the second WFPI Observership was held in India. Dr. Anitha Kini spent 3 months with Dr. Kushalijt Sodhi at the PGIMER in Chandigarh, India.  Dr. Kini's report will be posted when it is received.   She is pictured with the pediatric radiology team in the picture to the left. The Observership is now named the WFPI-Shiels Memorial Observership in recognition of the generous support from the Shiels Foundation at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. 
 

August - October, 2019:  the 3rd Observership was held at St Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City and Global City, Philippines under the mentorship of the President of the Philippine Society for Pediatric Radiology, Professor Bernard F. Laya along with the St. Luke's Medical Center Pediatric Radiology Team.  Observer, Dr. Joanna Marie Choa is pictured with Dr. Laya and the team.  

2018

August - October, 2018, the WFPI initiated it's first WFPI Pediatric Imaging Observership in South Africa.  Dr Janet Akinomoladun spent 3 months under the mentorship of Dr. Jaishree Naidoo at the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, and the Chris Hani   Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto.   

Dr. Akinomoladun's full report available here. 

Dr. William Shiels - Bill - was one of pediatric radiology's true originals. Over the course of his innovative career, Bill  received numerous awards including being a two time recipient of the Society for Pediatric Radiology's "John Caffey Paper  Award", the SPR "Pioneer Award", and a recipient of a grant from the Department of Defense to teach new interventional radiology techniques to aid in the removal of shrapnel in wounded veterans. He served for many years as the Chair of Radiology at Nationwide Children's Hospital.   
Bill lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in May 2015.  You may read the tribute to Bill written by his colleague Dr. Greg Bates here. 
At the time of Bill's passing, his colleagues at Nationwide Children initiated a Foundation in Bill's memory.  At that time, the chair of Radiology at Nationwide Children's, Dr. Rajesh Krishnamurthy, informed the WFPI leadership that supporting a grassroots approach to expert-driven, practical, hands-on training of motivated imaging trainees in parts of the world that are underserved by formal educational opportunities in pediatric radiology was the right way to honor his memory.
Those of us who knew Bill agree; he was a lively, compassionate, and generous man who dedicated his life to helping others through innovative approaches to pediatric imaging technique, practice, and education.