Perspective of a LMIC Surgeon on Educational Collaborations Opeoluwa A. Adesanya MBBS, FMCS FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE, ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA
Introduction Low income countries of the world (especially in Sub Saharan Africa) carry 25% of the world’s disease burden but have only 2% of the world’s human resources for health Collaboration in Surgical Education will help to reduce the deficit in trained manpower.
Helpful practices observed in visiting faculty SUPPORT OF EXISTING TRAINING PROGRAMS: -providing material and logistic support -development of Modules and videos for training -organizing Web meetings/ Telemedicine conferences - joint curriculum reviews DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINEES -Lectures on current trends/recent advances in Surgical practice -Mentorship -Teaching of new techniques /skills (i) masterclass demonstrations (ii) Hands on training -Facilitate International training experiences for Residents
Helpful practices (2) ENHANCEMENT OF TRAINERS (Senior Fellows) Continuing education through seminars, workshops -effective teaching methods -research trends and clinical outcomes measurement ii. Invitation to clinical fellowships/training workshops OTHERS Visiting professorships (longer stays by US faculty) Multidisciplinary approach to training Advocacy to government and hospital leaders
Unhelpful practices Inadequate pre-intervention planninG -Disrespecting local norms -Ignoring local needs in design of programs -Programs with poorly defined goals and objectives -Insufficient mix of theory with hands on training -Improperly scheduled visits -Improper composition of visiting teams making delivery of care more cumbersome Insufficient arrangement for POST –INTERVENTION MONITORING
Conclusion Collaboration in Surgical Education will help to reduce the deficit in trained manpower in LMICs They require proper planning and execution.
‘It takes a great man to plant a tree in whose shade he may never sit ’
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