Columbia University General Surgery Residency International Health Elective
Medicine transcends borders across the globe. Populations are growing at an astonishing pace, and medical systems in the developing world are trying to sustain adequate healthcare. The limited resources of many developing countries, however, preclude them from delivering the standard of care that is practiced in more developed countries. In addition, because of a lack of preventative medicine, patients in these countries frequently have end-stage presentations of their illnesses.
The Columbia University General Surgery Residency now has a unique opportunity to send our residents on international electives in developing countries. Now more than ever, this experience is a necessary part of surgical training in order to gain perspective and understand global surgical diseases. This international elective will help our residents appreciate cultural differences not only in approach to but also in treatment of surgical diseases. The elective is designed as a collaborative exchange in which culture, knowledge, and skill in both clinical and research arenas will be shared between the residents, faculty, and medical institutions of both Columbia University and the host country.
International Clinical Rotation
The core component of the International Health Elective in Surgery will be a 4-week rotation at a host institution in a developing country. This elective is purely optional and not required. A maximum of 7 residents will be sent each year. After the initial pilot experience, the elective time may be lengthened, particularly if long-term projects evolve with the collaborating institution.
Rotations primarily will involve clinical experiences. Residents will participate as team members in pre- and post-operative care of surgical patients, in surgery clinics, and in the operating room. Residents will be supervised primarily by faculty from the collaborating institution, but may also be supervised by a Columbia University faculty member who might accompany the resident. Some residents may choose to engage in an ongoing research project in the developing country with mentorship either by a host institution or a Columbia University faculty member or both.
Residents also will be involved in the training of local students, residents, and healthcare workers as appropriate. Initial residents will be responsible for completing an evaluation of the program and helping facilitate its future development.
Specific Resident Objectives
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Gain clinical and operative experience in the delivery of surgical care in developing countries.
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Gain knowledge of and familiarity with surgical diseases specific to developing countries.
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Increase awareness of the barriers to health care in a resource-poor environment.
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Enhance cultural sensitivity and a global health perspective.
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Refine history and physical exam skills in an environment less dependent on technology.
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Explore international health as a potential career interest.
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Develop mentoring relationships with Columbia University faculty interested in international health.
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Acquire proficiency in basic international and public health issues.
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Help build local capacity to train students/residents/healthcare workers.
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Participate in research that addresses healthcare and/or healthcare delivery in a developing country.
Potential Sites
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Cebu, Philippines
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Kampala, Uganda
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Mumbai, India
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Korea
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Brazil
Sites will be considered based on clinical exposure, faculty oversight, Columbia University connections, and language translation availability. This experience will be fully funded by the Department of Surgery, and residents will continue to receive their monthly salary.
A Participant’s Experience:
Greeting from Anyang. This international elective in Korea has been a training experience of a lifetime! My perceptions of being a surgeon, surgery and patient care have expanded exponentially during my short time at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital.
In brief, I am assigned to the Gastric Surgery Service and mentored by the Service Chief, Dr. Dae Hyun Yang. I have been the first assist on multiple open and laparoscopic assisted gastrectomies, as well as many other major abdominal cases. I attended the Korean Surgical Society's Annual Conference and several gastric cancer symposiums, where I heard and met internationally renowned surgeons.
This elective is helping me to think outside the box, above and beyond the limits of CPMC and the U.S. health care system. I have had the privilege of working with and learning from Korean nurses, attending surgeons, and other residents and fellows from Korea and around the world. In addition, I have gained invaluable knowledge and perspective from Korean patients who at times have strikingly different and at other times surprisingly similar social and cultural views about their disease, surgery and the role of medicine in their lives. I recommend it for every surgical resident, and I’m grateful to everyone at CPMC and HUMC who have made this experience possible, including my colleagues who suffered extra call in my absence!
Contact:
Avital Harari, MD
PGY V, General Surgery Resident
Columbia University Department of Surgery
email: ah2275@columbia.edu
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