Gambela Medical School Site Visit January, 2018

Gambela Medical School: Background 2014 conversation with Gatbel Chamjock Site visit 2015 by fourteen Meetings with senate Letters of support from 2016 2017 Minneapolis meeting 2017 AAFP Global Health Workshop presentation Connection with U.S. based university partner

Gambela Medical School: Regional Need Ethiopian border state with South Sudan Physician to population ratio 1:100,000 (2012) 2 million persons displaced, South Sudan Access to primary care and specialty services is challenging Doctors don’t stay in Ethiopia

Gambela Medical School: Local Needs Revolving door of new physicians paying back service time Considered a hardship area Culturally different people groups 400,000 refugees 500,000 Ethiopian population

Gambela Medical School: Local Resources Resource assessment performed January 2018 Regional referral hospital with adequate clinical experiences Gambela University with dramatic growth and new campus Growing economy and population 23 NGO’s working on relief and development in Gambela

Gambela Medical School: Support National support from Minister of Foreign Affairs Regional support from Ministers of Health, Education Broad support from university leadership Mayor support from Gambela Hospital leadership support

Gambela Medical School: Local Challenges Too few qualified instructors Nationally, medical schools are overcrowded Medical school admission process does not favor local students Inadequate finances from university to provide for medical education Hospital lacks basic services and adequate room

Gambela Medical School: Partners Gambela University Gambela Hospital Ethiopian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education Wayne State University Ethiopian Diaspora

Gambela Medical School: Vision To become a center of excellence in physician training To meet the increasing needs for physician services in the Gambela region to address local and regional health disparities and improve outcomes To train physicians to be healers and not merely technicians To be a force for peace in the region

Gambela Medical School: Visit Summary Support for this project is broad Need for 11th and 12th grade education enhancement Need for recruitment and retention of locally trained physicians Need for improvement in healthcare delivery and services Need for development of relationships with outside partners Need to strengthen relationship university with hospital

Gambela Medical School: Visit Summary New university campus to be completed March 2018 Land has been set aside for new health sciences campus 2 km by 2 km Regional improvement in health delivery and outcomes is possible Creation of a regional center of excellence

Gambela Medical School: Next Steps MOU to be negotiated and signed between Wayne State and Gambela Universities Gambela University presents the plan to regional senate and university board for approval Gambela University requests federal government for twenty medical students May 2018 Needs request for hospital and proposed clinic and teaching center to be developed by Gatbel, Barry Diaspora to approve use of 501c3 for donations of cash and equipment

Gambela Medical School: Next Steps Diaspora requested to develop a scholarship fund for qualifying students from South Sudan Donors for other components of the project to be sought by U.S. team Curriculum for medical school to be reviewed by U.S. team to direct support needs Request educational support for Gambela area 11th and 12th grade students to improve medical school acceptance rates

Gambela Medical School: Final Word We want to train excellent physicians but not for export We want to build buildings but not to put our names there We want to create a place for U.S. based learners but not for ourselves It is the patient who is suffering who is our concern Gambela University’s motto: “We are with the community”