Top of LaserTraining.org

*Note: This information is solely for the legitimate purposes of those groups/individuals requiring the information for CME/CEU accreditation or documentation for training. Any other use or distribution is strictly prohibited.

Curricula Vitae provided for purposes of CME/CEU applications & approvals for courses. Any other use is strictly prohibited.

Gregory T. Absten BSc, MBA
Executive Director of Professional Medical Education Association,
Mr. Gregory Absten, has been actively involved in the Medical Laser field for more than 30 years, with an initial background in critical care and surgery in the Allied Heath areas and Critical Care Medicine. He is an internationally recognized lecturer and author on medical lasers, and has taught hundreds of surgical and nursing courses in every specialty over the years. He is founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Professional Medical Education Association, and chairs the National Council on Laser Certification - a laser credentialing board of the nonprofit group. A Scientific Fellow with the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), he served as the Course Director for their "Laser Biophysics and Safety" workshops for more than eight years, and is the Exhibits Chairman at their annual scientific meeting. He has served on the Board of Directors of the ASLMS in the Laser Safety seat, and has sat on the Education & Training, Safety, and Communications Committees. He is on the Board of Directors for the International Aesthetic & Laser Association (IALA) and the World Association of Laser Applications (WALA), and also sits on the A.N.S.I. Z136.3 Committee for the "Safe use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities". This background has enabled us to offer a variety of standardized and customized laser training programs for physicians, nurses, laser safety officers, technicians and biomedical engineers -- utilizing both Mr. Absten and Physician, Nursing & Technical faculty from around the nation. He holds NCLE Certifications of Medical Laser Safety Officer, Aesthetic Laser Operator and Certified Laser Repair Technician.

Gregory T. Absten
3136 Broadway, Ste 101, Grove City, OH 43123. Tel: Office (614) 883-1739
PO 522379, Marathon Shores FL. Tel: Office (305 )851-8081

EXPERIENCE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Professional Medical Education Assn., Inc. (not for profit) Built a national network of over 500 medical professionals from start-up. Taught nationwide seminars in critical care / surgery topics including blood gases, ventilator management, EKG assessment, renal dialysis, Cardiac assist balloon pumps, central venous and arterial lines, pulmonary rehab, the critically ill neonate, lasers, electrosurgery, endoscopy, colposcopy and others. Continue with ongoing medical/surgical and Laser topics. Special emphasis on medical laser applications and technology. Chairman of the National Council on Laser Certification (NCLC), a laser credentialing board founded by Professional Medical Education. 1978 to present.

FOUNDER, Advanced Laser Services Corporation, Columbus, OH.- Multifaceted laser service organization providing repair, technical and consulting services. Served as President/CEO from 1986 to 1994. Sold company at end of 1996.

CONSULTANT, Independent consultant on medical and surgical technology applications for both hospitals and industry, including laser, electrosurgery and endoscopy. Involved in hospital program development and industry marketing efforts. Significant surgical experience. Continue these services through Professional Medical Education Assn. December 1984 to 1994.

INSTRUCTOR, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio. Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Taught techniques of laser surgery on a non-salaried basis. 1982 to 1985.

VICE-PRESIDENT Education, U.S. Medical Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio. Helped start this laser distributorship. Sold and managed sale of surgical lasers, designed and conducted related surgical training, developed technical maintenance services. 1982 to 1984.

MIDWEST TERRITORY MANAGER Medi-Tech, Inc. (Boston Scientific), Watertown, MA. Sold least invasive surgical products and managed area in five states. Built small lasers at home during this time frame.1980 to 1982.

RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE COORDINATOR, Intensive Care Unit, Mount Carmel Medical Center, Columbus, OH. Managed respiratory patient care in Intensive Care Unit: Direct patient care in management of ventilator, arterial lines & sticks, blood gases, emergency resuscitations, and training of nurses, technicians and residents. Initiated Open Heart Surgery Patient Teaching Program. ICU, CCU, SICU, Surgery & Emergency Room Experience. Served as Assistant Director of Department. 1974 to 1978.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Internationally recognized lecturer and author - Lasers and Surgical Technologies in Medicine

Laser Program development consultant to programs such as Technos-Humana, Inc., The Ohio State University Hospitals, Grant Hospital Laser Center, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), and many others.

President - Allied Medical Alumni Association., The Ohio State University College of Medicine. 1980's

Course Director - Laser Biophysics and Safety - for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery annual scientific meeting pre-conference courses for many years. Also faculty for their Nursing Courses, Exhibit Chairman for the Scientific Program, and Board of Directors Laser Safety Seat 2004-2007. Serve on Credentialing, Laser Safety and Communications Committees. Faculty member for the ongoing regional ASLMS "Fundamentals" courses.

Multi-Engine Instrument Rated Fixed Wing Aircraft Pilot - since 1977. Federal Aviation Administration

US Coast Guard 100 ton offshore Captain's License since 1997 -

Advanced Open Water Instructor - Scuba Diving - since 1974. Scuba Schools International (SSI), National Association of Skin Diving Schools (NASDS)

EDUCATION

MBA, Management - The University of Dayton - Dayton, Ohio - 1983 . Major in Management and focus on the medical laser industry

B.Sc., Allied Medicine - The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Respiratory Therapy - Columbus, Ohio - 1976

Numerous Postgraduate Medical Education programs over 30 years.

AFFILIATIONS

AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE (ANSI) Z136.3 Committee on the "Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities". Committee member 2010 -
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON LASER CERTIFICATION, Chairman. credentialing for Medical Laser Certifications. 2000 -
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR LASER MEDICINE & SURGERY - Previous Board of Directors & Exhibits Chairman, Credentialing, Safety & Communications Committee member
SCIENTIFIC FELLOW, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, since 1982
CUBAN HEALTH NETWORK, Co-founder, a non-profit organization providing medical supplies & equipment to Cuba
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF LASER APPLICATIONS - Board of Directors
INTERNATIONAL AESTHETIC & LASER ASSOCIATION - Board of Directors, Training & Credentialing committee.
CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR, Dept. of Ophthalmology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine. 1990's
NCLC LASER CERTIFICATIONS - Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO), Certified Laser Repair Technician (CLRT), Certified Aesthetic Laser Operator (CLO-A), Certified Laser Hair Removal Operator (CLO-H).
HONORARY FACULTY, National Institute of Angiology, Havana Cuba
REGISTERED RESPIRATORY THERAPIST, American Board of Respiratory Therapy
MARATHON YACHT CLUB, previous Port Captain, and member Board of Governors. Marathon, FL
U.S. POWER SQUADRONS, volunteer boating safety education organization. Member, previous commander and staff commander.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS & PILOTS ASSOCIATION (AOPA) - member since 1978

PERSONAL: Born 11/26/53 Married, five children

PUBLICATIONS

"Lasers in Medicine & Surgery" 1982 , Professional Medical Education Assn., Inc.., revisions 1983, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2004. Renamed in 1999 to "Lasers in Medicine & Surgery". Gregory Absten editor. Contributing authors J. Thomas Cox MD, Raymond Lanzafame MD, Bryan Shumaker MD, Harvey Wigdor MS DDS, James McCaughan Jr MD, Elliott Lach MD, Michael Kochman MD.

"Technos: Clinical Applications of Emerging Technologies in Health Care" Vol. 1, No. 1, "Lasers", Carol Bennett, editor, contributing author, 1982.

"The CO2 Surgical Laser" Journal of the American Association of Equine Practitioners - proceedings of the annual meeting 1982.

"Lasers In Medicine :an introductory guide", Chapman and Hall, London, England. Co-author with S. Joffe MD, 1984, 2nd edition 1988 , 3rd edition 1992 translated in English, Japanese and Italian

"Lasers in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery" Year Book Medical Publishers, 1986 Contributing author, John Ratz, MD editor

"Laser Safety" Journal of Laser Gynecology Co-author with Richard Reid MD, 1986

"Intra-Abdominal Laser Surgery" CO-author/editor - Dan Martin, Carl Levinson, Guy Photopulos Resurge Press 1986, Memphis TN

"Laser Techniques of Tomorrow" Middle East Health Magazine February 1987

"Laser Etiquette in the Operating Room" Journal of Laser Nursing July 1987

"Lasers and How They Work" Co-author with JP Minton MD American College of Surgery Bulletin, August 1987

"ND:Yag Lasers in Surgery" Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology , 1987 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Arlington, VA

"Lasers in General Surgery" Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD. 1989 Contributing author, Stephen Joffe MD, editor

"Common Problems in Laser Laparoscopy" Co-author with John LaBelle Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Arlington, VA , Jan/Feb 1989

"Gynecology Endoscopy: Pelviscopic Surgery and Laser Laparoscopy" Springer - Verlag Contributing author, Ron Levine, MD & Joseph Sanfilippo, MD editors

"Laser Physics" Gynecologic Clinics of North America, 1991 James Dorsey MD, editor

"Lasers in Gynecology" J.B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1991 Contributing author, David McLaughlin, MD editor

"Practical Electrosurgery" monograph - Professional Medical Education Assn., Inc.., 1991, rev. 1992, 1993

"Introduction to Laser Surgery" Blackwell Scientific Publishing Co. , 1992 Contributing author, Thomas Sedlacek, MD, editor

"Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery" McGraw Hill, Inc., New York, NY , 1993 Contributing author, John Graber, MD, editor

"Gynecologic Surgery: a guide from the Masters" Raven Press, 1993 Contributing author, Richard Soderstrom MD, editor

"High Energy Surgery: Lasers and Cautery" Surgery Alert, March 1992 Leonard Schultz MD, editor

"Arthroscopic Laser Surgery" Springer-Verlag, New York, NY, 1993 contributing author, Allen T. Brillhart MD, editor

"Applied Laser Physics"
"Practical Electrophysics"
"Laser and Electrosurgical Safety" American College of Gynecology, April 1992 and May 1993 Postgraduate 060 course materials

Minimal Access Gynecology contributing author, Stephen Grochmal MD, editor Radcliffe Medical Press Inc., NY, NY, 1994

"Lasers in Gynecology: Why pragmatic surgeons have not abandoned this valuable technology" Co-author with Richard Reid MD Comprehensive Review article for LASERS IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY 1995

"The Fundamentals of Medical Laser Technology". Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology. Volume 36/Number 3, May/June 2002

"Laser Hair Removal". Professional Medical Education Association. 2003

"Aesthetic Laser Office Procedures" - a home study training course. 2004, Rev 2006. Professional Medical Education Association.

"The Latest in Lasers". Dermascope Magazine Feb 2006

Other publications and books published, but not yet listed here

BACK TO THE TOP OF WWW.LASERTRAINING.ORG