The influence of internship training experience on Kenyan and Ugandan doctors' career intentions and decisions: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Medical internship is a key period for doctors' individual career planning and also a transition period for the broader labour market. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to understand the complex set of factors influencing the career intentions and decisions of junior doctors, post-internship in Kenya and Uganda. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 54 junior medical officers and 14 consultants to understand doctors' internship experiences and subsequent employment experiences. We analysed the data using a mix of a direct content approach, informed by an internship experience and career intentions framework developed primarily from high-income country literature, alongside a more inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Echoing the internship experience and career intentions framework, we found that clinical exposure during internship, work-life balance, aspects of workplace culture such as relationships with consultants and other team members, and concerns over future job security and professional development all influenced Kenyan and Ugandan doctors' career preferences. Additionally, we added a new category to the framework to reflect our finding that interns might want to 'fill a health system gap' when they choose their future careers, based on what they witness as interns. However, often career intentions did not match career and employment decisions due to specific contextual factors, most importantly a shortage of job opportunities. CONCLUSION: We have shown how internship experiences shape medical doctors' career intentions in Kenya and Uganda and highlighted the importance of job availability and context in influencing doctors' career choices.

Is Gastric Involvement by Strongyloides stercoralis in an Immunocompetent Patient a Common Finding? A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

PURPOSE: Gastric infection with Strongyloides stercoralis (SS) usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. The unexpected observation of this parasite in an otherwise healthy young lady who had undergone upper endoscopy and biopsy sampling of the gastro-duodenal mucosa, prompted us to review the literature to ascertain the conditions favouring gastric colonization by SS. METHODS: Pathology files of gastroduodenal biopsies received at St. Mary's hospital, Northern Uganda, between 2007 and 2017 were reviewed. Pubmed search was performed under the headings "Strongyloides stercoralis", "Gastric parasitosis". RESULTS: Histology of the only gastroduodenal biopsy with SS infection showed parasite eggs, immature rhabditiform larvae, and numerous adult worms in gastric pits and rhabditiform larvae in interepithelial parasitic tunnels, causing reactive changes of the glandular epithelium. There was no significant acute inflammatory cell infiltrate surrounding the parasites. Literature review showed that gastric SS infection appears to be very uncommon and was, as expected, largely prevalent in immunodeficient individuals (84.2% of published cases). The rare gastric SS infection is a complication of systemic strongyloidiasis, either hyperinfective, or disseminated form. It is also commonly associated with duodenal infection at microscopical examination. CONCLUSION: Involvement of gastric mucosa in the absence of duodenal strongyloidiasis appears to be quite rare and false-negative histopathological exams are reported if only the stomach is biopsied.

Incidence of male breast carcinoma in North Uganda: A survey at Lacor Hospital, Gulu, during 2009-2016.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available on male breast cancer (MBC) incidence from sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: This is a retrospective study on MBC in rural North Uganda, based on the pathology records of a private, non-profit, missionary hospital. METHODS: All male patients that had histological diagnosis of breast carcinoma from January 2009 to December 2016 were included in this study. RESULTS: In time span of 8 years, there were 337 consecutive breast cancer presentations, including 21 MBC (6.2%). The latter patients showed advanced disease (mean symptom duration: 20.3 months; mean tumour size: 5 cm) skin ulceration and ipsilateral lymph node metastasis: 60%). The mean age was 60.52 years (from 30 to 85 yrs). Ductal infiltrating carcinoma was the prevalent histological type in our series (65%), followed by an unusually high rate of papillary carcinomas (15%). There appeared to be a prevalence for left breasts (11 LT versus 6 RT; 64.7%), a finding also observed in the majority of MBC. CONCLUSIONS: This study is representative of the scenario in Northern Uganda, where MBC accounts for 6.2% of breast cancers, More information on the occurrence and risk factors of this unusual neoplasm in African countries may prompt prevention of chronic liver disease and early recognition and treatment of MBC.

Incidental cholecystocolonic fistula in obstructive jaundice.

Cholecystocolonic fistula is a rare condition often diagnosed intraoperatively, requiring an adequate set of knowledge and skills to allow safe intraoperative change of prior planned surgery and alleviate significant morbidity.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings in adolescents at Lacor Hospital, Uganda.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fiberoptic endoscopy is a highly efficient diagnostic tool, which is now being increasingly used, in the pediatric age group. This study has been carried out to demonstrate indications for and common findings of endoscopy in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records for endoscopy indication and result of children who had endoscopy between Jan 2000 to June 2005. RESULTS: We analyzed 135 children who were referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. There were 38 boys and 97 girls. The mean age was 16 years (SD+/-1.4293). The main indications comprised epigastric pain (67.4%), dyspepsia (11.9), hematemesis (8.9%), recurrent abdominal pain (3%) recurrent vomiting (3%), and miscellaneous (5.8%). Endoscopic diagnose included duodenal ulcer (14.8%) and gastritis (12.6%); duodenal scarring (5.2%), bile reflux (5.2%) duodenitis (4.4%) and miscellaneous 6.4%. CONCLUSION: In Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure in children with gastrointestinal disorder. Gastritis and duodenal disease are commonly seen in children, hence must be included in differential diagnosis of children with digestive complaints and its management.