Better Clinical Teachers for Better Patient Care
On October 5-7, 2017, 15 trauma and orthopedic (T&O) surgeons and two operating room personnel (ORP) from English-speaking Africa (ESA) converged onto Kigali, Rwanda. This is a rare opportunity for these AO Alliance Faculty dedicated to improving the care of the injured in low-income countries in Africa to advance their teaching skills with a team of educators and surgeon facilitators from Switzerland and Oman.
Participants and facilitators: Faculty Education Program for English-speaking Africa 2017
Rigorous online preparation work lasting six weeks lead up to the face-to-face event. Over the course of two days, the Faculty learned specific skills on how to give a great lecture, run a discussion group and lead a practical exercise. In the wrap-up session, they all committed to change and improve two things in their teaching styles and processes.
Dr Richard Baidoo from Ghana said: “Not only have we benefited from this advanced teaching on a personal basis, our patients and residents will also reap the knowledge imparted upon us”. Narayan Ramachandran, AOTrauma surgeon facilitator commented: “This is one of the most motivated groups of Faculty I have ever shared this Faculty Education Program with. They are hungry for any bit of teaching. They are focused”.
Many countries in ESA were represented, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, Mozambique, The Gambia, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The event could not have happened without the local organization efforts of Emmanuel Bakuru, the AO Education Institute, and Carola Hoentzsch for stepping in at the last minute in her educator role.