Beyond the operating room: How international training elevates orthopedic care
The journey of a Baylor College of Medicine orthopedic resident surgeon demonstrates how philanthropic support creates ripple effects that extend from education to exceptional patient care.
Bridging continents through surgical education
Dr. Brenden Ronna, a fifth-year resident in the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor, recently returned from a transformative experience in Munich. As a recipient of the Joseph Barnhart Bronze Hammer Award, Ronna was granted the opportunity to pursue advanced training in shoulder and elbow surgery at the Orthopaedische Chirguie Muenchen Clinic (OCM) in Munich, working alongside world-renowned shoulder and elbow surgeons, professor Patric Raiss and professor Kilian Wegmann.
“It is difficult for me to describe how much this experience meant to me, my family, and to me as a surgeon,” Ronna reflects. “I feel that my skills and knowledge increased quite a bit. These two surgeons are world leaders in orthopedic shoulder surgery, and I was able to grasp an understanding, which added tremendously to the foundation I had built in Houston.”
A personal connection to professional growth
For Ronna, this journey carried profound personal significance. His family’s German roots trace back to his grandfather, who was born in Hamburg in the 1920s. Ronna himself lived in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria while serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his time living there, he developed fluency in German and a deep appreciation for the country’s rich contributions to orthopedic surgery.
This international fellowship allowed Ronna to participate in nearly 100 operations, including rotator cuff repairs, Latarjet and shoulder arthroplasties and complex elbow procedures. Beyond the impressive case numbers, he gained invaluable insights into different surgical techniques and approaches that he plans on incorporating into his practice in the future.
“I have so many notes of cases and techniques that I am using to develop my own techniques for my future patients,” Ronna said. “I gained a new perspective learning surgery on the other side of the world.”
Mentorship that shapes careers
Perhaps equally important to the surgical techniques learned abroad was the mentorship Ronna received: “Professor Raiss really took me under his wing and did a great job serving as a mentor to me and a positive role model of an ethical surgeon and motivated educator.”
This mentorship reinforced Ronna’s already established career path as an academic orthopedic surgeon. He will pursue a sports medicine and shoulder surgery fellowship at the University of Wisconsin following his residency at Baylor, with the goal of returning to Houston afterward to train future residents and fellows.
“Dr. Raiss encouraged me to read and develop literature and develop myself as a professional and surgeon. He inspired me to follow a path to become an academic orthopedic surgeon,” Ronna said.
The ripple effect of philanthropic support
The Joseph Barnhart Bronze Hammer Award, a $10,000 grant provided by the Joe Barnhart Foundation, exemplifies how targeted philanthropy creates far-reaching impacts in healthcare. What begins as financial support for educational opportunities can lead to better surgical outcomes and enhanced patient care.
As we continue to advance our mission, our department remains committed to cultivating surgeons who are not only technically proficient but also compassionate, culturally competent, and committed to providing the best possible care to patients regardless of their background.
Through the generosity of foundations like the Joe Barnhart Foundation and our other supporters, Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery continues to shape the future of orthopedic care not only in Houston, but globally.
Learn more about the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
By Shelby Moser, communications manager in the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery
