Zbigniew Gugala, MD, PhDAssociate Professor
Josephina Santos Endowed Professor in Orthopaedics
Hiram P. Arnold, MD and Gloria Arnold Endowed Professor
Director of Research
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation
Dr. Gugala joined the UTMB faculty in 2005. He received his medical degree from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, and his research degree from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
He is currently the Director of Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation. Despite numerous basic science interests which include molecular, cellular, and genetic aspects of orthopedic conditions, his primary focus is
on clinically driven research. He is also a committed educator with an interest in establishing and validating the effectiveness of innovative didactic initiatives for orthopedic residents and medical students. He runs several elective and selective
courses for medical students and serves on the Orthopaedic Residency Research Committee, APT Committee, Bioskills and Surgery Simulation Committee.
He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Orthopaedic Journal—a vibrant platform, printed and online, for exchanging musculoskeletal basic science and clinical endeavors between scientists, clinicians, trainees, and public health professionals.
His particular fascination is to harness modern technology, such as 3D printing as well as augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) as effective educational modalities.
In 2015, Dr. Gugala was inducted into the Academy of Master Teachers.
Learner Types: JSSOM - Medical Students - Pre-Clerkship, JSSOM - Residency/Fellowships, Faculty/Educator Development, GSBS Master's/Doctoral, JSSOM - Medical Students - Clinical Years, SHP - Physical Therapy.
Assessment of Learners: Feedback to Learners, Observed Structured Clinical Evaluations (OSCE), National Board Exam Question Writing.
Advancement/Promotion: Educator Portfolio, Promotion/Tenure for Educators, CV Development.
Curriculum: Curriculum Design, Objectives.
Diversity Issues: Gender, Race/Ethnicity.
Educational Leadership: Leadership Development.
Instructional Methods: Blackboard Courses, Case Development, Case-Based Teaching, Interactive Teaching - Large Group, Interactive Teaching - Small Group, Problem-based Learning (PBL), Simulation-based Education, Team-Based Learning (TBL).
Scholarship - Ed Research or Curriculum Innovation: Grant-Writing, Abstract Development, Manuscript Writing, Poster Development, Presentation Skills, Qualitative Research Methods, Quantitative Research Method.
Special Content: Ethics in Health Professions Education, Faculty Development - Teaching Skills, Faculty Development - Technology-related, Procedural Skills, Learners as Teachers, Surgical Education.