2011 Three Year Plan

There are currently a limited number of well-trained surgeons at Kamuzu Central Hospital to provide training for surgery residents. With at least 3 new residents coming into the five-year program every year, the need for trainers is increasing. We have established and are expanding a program of visiting surgeons, anesthesiologist, operating room nurses and other professionals to stay at the MSI House in Lilongwe for 2 weeks to 3 months at a time. Visitors will give lectures to support the established curriculum and provide hands on training in out-patient assessment, pre-operative planning, operative procedures, post-operative care including treatment of complications, surgical critical care, evaluation and treatment of surgical emergencies and anesthesia. Foundation funding is critical to this plan, as research grants will not support clinical training.

During the first two years of training, KCH residents concentrate on learning the basics of surgery care and preparing for board exams. Third and fourth year residents will continue clinical training, but will be given time to develop and implement research projects. UNC and other surgical residents will be encouraged to come to KCH to train along side the Malawian residents, with the plan to establish life long professional relationships. Each resident is expected publish at least 2 papers from this research and present at regional and international meetings. Incorporation of research into the residency will be solidified as we fill the third and fourth year classes.

Our trauma and cancer databases and tissue procurement protocol provides a wide base of preliminary data for research projects. Long term funding sources for these programmatic resources will be identified.

2011 Six Year Plan

As Malawian surgery residents finish the program and become Consultant Surgeons, they will be mentors and teachers in the KCH General Surgery Program. Although visiting specialty surgeons will continue to provide lectures and some hands on teaching, the bulk of training will be done by Malawian Surgeons, thus establishing a self-sustaining program. Participating international surgeons will provide research collaborations and senior level career mentoring including advice on grant writing and career advancement. MSI will continue to support UNC, other US and international surgical residents to rotate at KCH to develop collaborative research careers.