1. Creating A Gastroenterology Fellowship in Rwanda The Role of Relationship-Building on Successful Program Development Vincent Dusabejambo1, MD, Stephen Rulisa1, MD, PhD, Richard Johannes2, MD, MS, Eric Rutanganda1, MD, Ceeya Patton-Bolman3, MSN, Traci Wolbrink2, MD, MPH, Frederick Makrauer2, MD 1National University of Rwanda; 2Harvard Medical School; 3Team Heart
Design and Methods
Results
Introduction
Rwanda’s mandate for comprehensive, community-based GI care led its Ministry of Health and University, in collaboration with a local U.S. NGO, to recruit a Harvard clinician-educator to assist in faculty development and design of a sustainable GI fellowship program.
Relationship-building and trust led to the formation of a deeply committed, working group under Rwandan leadership.
The group, working from an online platform is adapting Harvard GI curriculum to meet the healthcare needs of Rwanda. An online teaching platform serves as an effective planning tool and will become the ‘classroom’ for the first fellow’ in July, 2017.
February, 2016
Alerted by a local NGO, ‘Team Heart’ (CP-B), the Dean of the U of Rwanda (Kigali) School of Medicine (SR) met with a Harvard clinician-educator (FLM) to design and launch a gastroenterology fellowship program in cooperation with BWH to graduate a Rwandan physician by June, 2019.
October, 2016
The Dean held a meeting in Kigali, FM and a recruited Harvard epidemiologist (RSJ), to establish mission, governance, funding, leadership, team membership & responsibilities, and timeline.
Seed money has been secured for recording equipment and air travel; Team Heart has provided lodging in Kigali.
March, 2017
Weekly Teleconferencing (‘ZOOM’) began between Boston and Kigali, ensuring trust, mutual understanding and shared commitment.
We are adapting the Harvard GI core curriculum to reflect disease prevalence, community expectations and professional standards in Rwanda.
We will embed the peer-reviewed, culturally-competent curriculum in a web-based platform provided by OPENPediatrics (TW), creating an on-demand ‘digital’ classroom overseen by the Rwandan program director (VD).
The advice of team members with experience in partnership building and community healthcare delivery have led to a mutually respectful, highly enriching collaboration.
We have formed a highly-skilled team strongly invested in a well-defined, urgent goal and clear objectives.
Using iMovie as a platform, we have embedded our first 5 lectures in a unique GI online site.
Conclusions
Strong ‘relationship-building’ remains the critical factor in the development of successful global-health programs.
Respect, trust and clear vision are essential before innovative technology and advances in the science of learning can be effective.
Remote e-learning can be an effective method for learning and for sharing educational innovation.
Objectives
To establish the governance, institutional commitment and resources necessary to ensure long-term program sustainability.
To form a bi-national, committed working group of qualified physician-educators under Rwandan leadership and adept at online communication and curriculum design.
Adapt an established Harvard GI curriculum to conform to local cultural and professional standards.
References
1. Frenk, J et al. Health Professionals for a New Century: Transforming Education to Strengthen Health Systems in an
Interdependent World Lancet 2010; 376: 1923–58
2. Wolbrink. TA; Kissoon, N; Burns, JP The Development of an Internet-Based Knowledge Exchange Platform for Pediatric Critical Care Clinicians Worldwide Pediatr Crit Care Med 2014;15:197–205
3. Jameson, J et al. Building Trust and Shared Knowledge in Communities of e-Learning Practice: Collaborative Leadership in the JISC eLISA and CAMEL Lifelong Learning Projects British J of Educ Tech Vol 37 No –967