RESUMEN
Small numbers of graduates from few medical schools, and emigration of graduates to other countries, contribute to low physician presence in sub-Saharan Africa. The Sub-Saharan African Medical School Study examined the challenges, innovations, and emerging trends in medical education in the region. We identified 168 medical schools; of the 146 surveyed, 105 (72%) responded. Findings from the study showed that countries are prioritising medical education scale-up as part of health-system strengthening, and we identified many innovations in premedical preparation, team-based education, and creative use of scarce research support. The study also drew attention to ubiquitous faculty shortages in basic and clinical sciences, weak physical infrastructure, and little use of external accreditation. Patterns recorded include the growth of private medical schools, community-based education, and international partnerships, and the benefit of research for faculty development. Ten recommendations provide guidance for efforts to strengthen medical education in sub-Saharan Africa.
Asunto(s)
Educación de Pregrado en Medicina/organización & administración , Facultades de Medicina , Acreditación , África del Sur del Sahara , Conducta Cooperativa , Curriculum , Emigración e Inmigración , Equipos y Suministros , Docentes Médicos/provisión & distribución , Gobierno , Personal de Salud , Humanos , Cooperación Internacional , Evaluación de Necesidades , Sector Privado , Control de Calidad , Investigación , Salarios y Beneficios , Facultades de Medicina/economía , EnseñanzaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To describe the 1-year experience of a unique postgraduate medical education program set in Eritrea, a recently war-torn country. DESIGN: The Partnership for Eritrea, a cooperative between The George Washington University Medical Center, Physicians for Peace, and the Eritrean Ministry of Health, formed a surgical residency program, launched January 2, 2008, in Asmara, Eritrea, to train native Eritrean surgeons. No prior residency program (to our knowledge) had existed in Eritrea. SETTING: Eritrea, a country in the Horn of Africa. PATIENTS: Five Eritrean physicians participated in the surgical residency. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of operations performed, length of stay, antibiotic use, and intravenous fluid use. RESULTS: The number of operations increased and resource use decreased because of improved and standardized clinical management. CONCLUSIONS: The Partnership for Eritrea established a general surgical residency program that improved clinical care in a resource-poor country that previously had lacked postgraduate training. The program experience suggests a model that can be reproduced in other developing countries.