Advanced Trauma Course in Uganda, surgical outreach and new publications

Update from Doruk...

I spoke with Doruk yesterday about his recent activities at Mulago and in the district hospitals. He is in the midst of running an ATLS-like (Advanced Trauma Life Support) course for the residents and medical students. He organized the two-day course and recruited Makerere Faculty to teach. The first day went well and ran from 815 am (only 15 minutes behind schedule!) until 7pm. It was scheduled to end earlier but there were so many questions and so much enthusiasm from the residents and medical students, many stayed late to continue teaching. Pretty good indicator of the quality of the course, I'd say.

Earlier in the month, Doruk and 4th year resident Alex Ayzengartwent on an outreach trip to one of the district hospitals. More on that to come from both of them, but here's a brief note from Alex..

'things here are going well - we went on a surgical outreach trip to Kapchorwa (on the border of Kenya, way east) - and that was amazing! we did 25 cases or so in 2 days!! most of that time, there was no running water and we had to use sunlight as our only illuminating aid!'

Also of note, the February 23rd issue of The Lancet published a comment written by Makerere Faculty and UCSF faculty entitled 'Africa's neglected surgical workforce crisis' (see link: doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60279-2 ) This was followed by the February 26th issue of World Journal of Surgery entitled 'The Neglect of the Global Surgical Workforce: Experience and Evidence from Uganda '
(see link: doi:10.1007/s00268-008-9473-4)

Kudos to all involved!!!!