“The work of Dr. Del Pinal is very versatile. There are always many opportunities to see good cases”.

Dr. Shan Shan Jin, 29, UK, graduated from the School of Medicine at UCL (University College London), Great Britain.

Why did you choose the residents program of Dr. del Piñal?

Dr. del Pinal is a pioneering plastic surgeon, recognized internationally for their expertise in the field of upper limb surgery. I had the pleasure of attending one of his conferences at the October meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) in San Francisco, which made me get interested in his work. So I organized a visit for a better knowledge of his professional practice to complement my training.

visit for a better knowledge of his professional practice to complement my training.

How would you describe your experience from a professional point of view ?.

The stay was extremely well organized. Drs. del Piñal and Ruas kindly provided me with all the information required for the visit. I had a schedule with day-to-day activities. Besides, I was informed about all the interesting cases that took place during my stay.

Dr. Del Piñal suggested me relevant readings and even tried to amend the list of operations according to my professional interests.

During my stay, I had the opportunity to follow the practice of Dr. Del Pinal and his team in different hospitals, along with a small group of residents. About half of the workload is ambulatory, which allowed me to see pre and postoperative patients. Both Dr. Del Piñal and his team were very receptive and willing to support. They acted as translators throughout my consultations, so I could examine and interact with patients.

“Dr. del Pinal is a pioneering plastic surgeon, recognized internationally for their expertise in the field of upper limb surgery”

The rest of the time was ‘theater-based’, where I assisted in several cases. Dr. Del Piñal was a fantastic teacher, performing continuous commentaries on each situation to maximize my understanding.

I forgot to mention that I also had the opportunity to witness an extremely rare clinical case. The work of Dr. Del Pinal is very versatile. There are always many opportunities to see good cases.

On the other hand, we had two training discussion sessions a week.

Santander, the city’s personal impressions, places not to be missed, advice for new residents…

Santander is an interesting city. Unfortunately my experience was a bit overshadowed by a week of bad weather. I could not explore all I would have wished, but I still enjoyed my long walks on the beach. The promenade is great for runners and cyclists. The Royal Palace of the Magdalena is also very good. There are great bars and seafood restaurants.

I stayed in a budget hotel, apartments Aranzazu, a 20-30 minute walk from the clinic of Dr. Del Pinal. Clean, comfortable, with Wi-fi, enough for a week and advisable for short visits.

The choice depends on the money you are willing to spend. Hotels near Puerto Chico are also good choices. They are close to the clinic at a hub of good bars and restaurants.

 Anything else?.

Yes. I’ve enjoyed a great stay during my week with Dr. Del Piñal. I only regret that it has been too short. I hope to return in the future to gain more experience. Personally I recommend a minimum of two weeks.

I have not only gained broad professional experience, but I had also the chance to befriend interesting people with very different backgrounds.