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IGOT SMART Course

Every year between 20 and 50 million people are permanently disabled from road traffic injuries, and over 6 million die. That’s twice the number of deaths than HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Many of these are preventable, but local surgeons in countries with limited resources where these accidents are so common lack the training required to perform life-saving procedures."

IGOT’s annual 4-5 day Surgical Management and Reconstructive Training (SMART) course provides specialized training in soft-tissus techniques for orthopaedic surgeons in low-income countries, including Tanzania, Nepal, and Mexico. This is a multidisciplinary course that includes didactics, hands-on workshops, and cadaveric lab sessions alongside expert orthopaedic and plastic surgeon-instructors. IGOT partners with surgeons from partnering academic institutions, including the University of Toronto, the University of Southern California, the University of Washington, and the University of California, Los Angeles. Our flagship SMART course is held at our headquarters in San Francisco, CA, USA.


 

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The Need for SMART Courses

Every year, between 20 and 50 million people are permanently disabled from road traffic injuries, and over 6 million die. These numbers are 2x the number of deaths than HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria COMBINED. This burden disproportionately affects those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Many of the local surgeons in resource-limited countries lack the training required to perform limb- and life-saving procedures. Our SMART courses equip the surgeons with these skills and knowledge.

I owe a lot to UCSF and IGOT for the SMART Course.

The Impact

  • The IGOT SMART Course model is an innovative approach to address the global disparity in orthopaedic trauma care.
  • The SMART course provides orthopaedic surgeons in resource-limited settings with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform surgeries to reduce the incidence of amputations.
  • Each surgeon attending a SMART Course trains 3-5 surgeons creating a ripple effect of education within low-income countries.
  • Surgeons completing the SMART Course have a 93% success rate in treating patients with post-traumatic limb-threatening conditions.
  • In a recent study examining the SMART course impact, participants reported that the knowledge and skills gained from this course has significantly changed their practice.

To learn more about IGOT’s SMART Courses and register for upcoming courses, please contact IGOT at igot.oti@ucsf.edu.

Upcoming Courses

  • 5th Annual Mexico IGOT SMART Course

    Oaxaca, Mexico
    January 9-11, 2026

     

  • Inaugural Colombia SMART Course

    Bogota, Colombia
    March 19-21, 2026

     

  • 11th Annual Tanzania SMART Course

    Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    May 19-21, 2026

     

  • 16th Annual San Francisco Surgical Management and Reconstructive Training (SMART) Course

    San Francisco, CA, USA
    September 19-21, 2026

     

  • 3rd Annual Surgical Management and Reconstructive Training (SMART) Course

    Lagos, Nigeria
    November 2026

     

Give Now to Save Limbs and Lives

With your help, this impact can be amplified for years to come. Thank you for your donation to IGOT.

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