Razan Baabdullah & Lillian Gordon: Innovating Surgical Education

Every meaningful innovation in education begins with a problem. Yet only a small number of educational initiatives progress beyond local implementation to influence institutional practice, professional standards, or health policy.

In this session, Dr. Razan Baabdullah and Lillian Gordon will explore how educational research can serve as a bridge between clinical challenges, curriculum innovation, and system-level change. Drawing from projects in oral cancer screening, visual arts–based education, humanities in healthcare, oral-systemic health, and learner-centered curriculum design, they will discuss how educational scholarship can transform observations from daily practice into scalable solutions.

The speakers will share practical frameworks for identifying educational gaps, designing impactful research, building interdisciplinary collaborations, evaluating outcomes, and translating findings into sustainable programs that influence learners, institutions, and healthcare systems. Participants will gain insight into how students, trainees, and faculty can become effective change agents through scholarship and advocacy.

SPEAKERS

Razan Mohammad Baabdullah, BDS, MS, FRCDC is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, educator, and researcher whose work focuses on surgical education, oral cancer screening, social medicine, and the integration of arts and humanities into healthcare training. She completed a Master of Science degree at Harvard Medical School, where her work explored oral cancer screening, health policy, and innovative educational approaches to improving access to care. Her educational research has focused on applying visual arts, humanities, and museum-based learning to surgical training, including the development of novel curricula for facial analysis and oral cancer screening education. She has collaborated with faculty from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine on curriculum innovation and oral health integration initiatives.

Selected Publications

• Integrating Arts and Humanities Into Surgical Education: A Novel Curriculum for Facial Analysis Training(Journal of Surgical Education, 2025)

• Google Scholar Profile

Website

• Harvard Medical School Graduate Health Sciences Magazine Interview with Razan Baabdullah

Lillian Gordon, MSc '25, DMD Candidate '27 has an interdisciplinary background spanning healthcare, education, public policy, and research. She earned her Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2025 and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree at Harvard, expected in 2027. Her academic interests focus on educational innovation, health policy, oral-systemic health, and the translation of research into meaningful institutional and societal change. Through her work at Harvard, she has explored how trainees and early-career professionals can contribute to advancing healthcare education and policy through scholarship, advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her perspective complements Dr. Razan Baabdullah's experience as a surgeon-educator and researcher, offering attendees insights from both faculty and trainee viewpoints on developing impactful educational research and transforming ideas into sustainable solutions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

1. Identify clinical and educational challenges suitable for scholarly investigation.

2. Design educational research projects with measurable impact.

3. Understand pathways from curriculum innovation to institutional implementation.

4. Recognize opportunities for students and trainees to contribute to educational change.

5. Explore how educational scholarship can inform policy and healthcare systems.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

• Surgical Educators

• Residents and Fellows

• Medical and Dental Students

• Academic Faculty

• Program Directors

• Health Professions Educators

FREE ONLINE LIVE EVENT

San Francisco: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 8:00 am

Mexico City: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 9:00 am

New York: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 11:00 am

Rio de Janeiro: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 12:00 noon

London: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 4:00 pm

Berlin: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 5:00 pm

Johannesburg: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 5:00 pm

Cairo: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 6:00 pm

Dubai: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 7:00 pm

Delhi: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 8:30 pm

Manila: Monday, August 31, 2026 at 11:00 pm

Sydney: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 1:00 am

LANGUAGE: The event language is English.

CE ACCREDITATION : surgeON is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. surgeON designates this activity for 1 credit hour of continuing education credits.

DECLARATION

In accordance with criterion 13 of document UEMS 2023.07.rev “EACCME® Criteria for the Accreditation of Live Educational Events (LEEs)” and the Standard v. Commercial or Promotional Conflict of Interest, published by the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP), all surgeON presenters sign a Conflict of Interest form to document all perceived or actual conflicts of interest for the last 3 years, whether due to a financial or other relationship. This document can be viewed at the beginning of the event or on request by emailing info@surgeon-events.org No fee, honorarium or arrangement for re-imbursement of expenses in relation to the this event has been provided to the speaker.