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Rennie N, Degraeuwe E, Deltour C, Serry Senhaji M, Brusselmans J, Vandenheede M, Berrevoet F, Van Daele E, Willaert W. Global surgery education in Belgium: Student's knowledge, attitudes and exposure. MEDICAL TEACHER 2024; 46:971-977. [PMID: 38071668 DOI: 10.1080/0142159x.2023.2289849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Understanding how medical students perceive global surgery will be essential in strengthening the global surgery workforce by 2030. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes and exposure of Belgian medical students towards global surgery and identified avenues for medical institutions to include meaningful educational opportunities. METHODS An online survey was distributed to first to final year medical students across Belgian universities using social media. Data were collected on demographics, exposure, knowledge and attitudes towards global surgery. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS A total of 304 medical students participated from four Belgian universities. A minority reported having exposure to global surgery (24.7%), and most wanted more exposure (75.3%). Almost all respondents agreed (94.4%) that it is a relevant topic for medical students, and most agreed (71%) more compulsory education on the topic is needed. Only 13 to 44% of students could correctly answer questions testing global surgery knowledge. Personal/family responsibilities were the most important barrier to pursuing global surgery careers. CONCLUSIONS Global surgery knowledge and exposure is limited among Belgian medical students despite interest in the field. These results advocate for the inclusion of decolonised global surgery education alongside equitable international clinical internships in medical education worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Rennie
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Degraeuwe
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Deltour
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Judith Brusselmans
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Margo Vandenheede
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederik Berrevoet
- Department of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elke Van Daele
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Willaert
- Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Takoutsing BD, Endalle G, Senyuy WP, Celestin BM, Kwasseu GK, Tanyi PB, Jumbam DT, Kanmounye US. Identifying opportunities for global surgery in Cameroon: an analysis of existing health policies and events. Pan Afr Med J 2024; 47:143. [PMID: 38933430 PMCID: PMC11204985 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.143.38399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction the burden of diseases amenable to surgery, obstetrics, trauma, and anesthesia (SOTA) care is increasing globally but low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery proposed National Surgical, Obstetrics, and Anesthesia Plans as national policies to reduce the global SOTA burden. These plans are dependent on comprehensive stakeholder engagement and health policy analysis. Objective: in this study, we analyzed existing national health policies and events in Cameroon to identify opportunities for SOTA policies. Methods we searched the Cameroonian Ministry of Health´s health policy database to identify past and current policies. Next, the policies were retrieved and screened for mentions of SOTA-related interventions using relevant keywords in French and English, and analyzed using the 'eight-fold path´ framework for public policy analysis. Results we identified 136 policies and events and excluded 16 duplicates. The health policies and events included were implemented between 1967 and 2021. Fifty-nine policies and events (49.2%) mentioned SOTA care: governance (n=25), infrastructure (n=21), service delivery (n=11), workforce (n=11), information management (n=10), and funding (n=8). Most policies and events focused on maternal and neonatal health, followed by anesthesia, ophthalmologic surgery, and trauma. National, multinational civil society organizations and private stakeholders supported these policies and events, and the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Health was the largest funder. Conclusion most Cameroonian SOTA-related policies and events focus on maternal and neonatal care, and health financing is the health system component with the least policies and events. Future SOTA policies should build on existing strengths while improving neglected areas, thus attaining shared global and national goals by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berjo Dongmo Takoutsing
- Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Geneviève Endalle
- Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Wah Praise Senyuy
- Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Bilong Mbangtang Celestin
- Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | | | | | - Desmond Tanko Jumbam
- Department of Policy and Advocacy, Operation Smile Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
| | - Ulrick Sidney Kanmounye
- Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Department of Policy and Advocacy, Operation Smile Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
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Bandyopadhyay S. Author's Reply: International Survey of Medical Students Exposure to Relevant Global Surgery (ISOMERS): A Cross-Sectional Study. World J Surg 2022; 46:1512-1513. [PMID: 35381850 DOI: 10.1007/s00268-022-06555-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soham Bandyopadhyay
- Oxford University Global Surgery Group, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK. .,St Hilda's College, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX4 1DY , UK.
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Djoutsop OM, Mbougo JV. Letter to the Editor: International Survey of Medical Students Exposure to Relevant Global Surgery (ISOMERS): A Cross-Sectional Study. World J Surg 2022; 46:1510-1511. [PMID: 35353242 PMCID: PMC8966595 DOI: 10.1007/s00268-022-06538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Mbougo Djoutsop
- Faculty of Medicine, Bel Campus University of Technology, 37b Avenue des Marais, Forgeron, Funa, Limete, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
| | - Jolyvette Voufo Mbougo
- Faculty of Medicine, Bel Campus University of Technology, 37b Avenue des Marais, Forgeron, Funa, Limete, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
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Cleft Lip and Palate Research in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Scientometric Analysis. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2022; 10:e4122. [PMID: 35186648 PMCID: PMC8846345 DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000004122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cleft lip and palate (CLP) comprise over 90% of the world’s congenital anomalies and cause significant disability worldwide, while disproportionally burdening low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Research can help inform strategies that reduce disparities in accessing CLP care. We performed a scientometric analysis of CLP research in LMICs to identify influential contributors and themes.
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International Survey of Medical Students Exposure to Relevant Global Surgery (ISOMERS): A Cross-Sectional Study. World J Surg 2022; 46:1577-1584. [PMID: 35106648 PMCID: PMC9174132 DOI: 10.1007/s00268-022-06440-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The principles of global surgery should be taught as a part of the core curriculum in medical schools. The need for medical students to be familiar with the topic is increasing in acceptance. There is, however, a paucity of data on how medical students are exposed to global surgery. This study aims to evaluate exposure of medical students to global surgery, awareness of the key messages of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, global surgery career aspirations and barriers to said aspirations. METHODS ISOMERS was a multi-centre, online, cross-sectional survey of final year medical students globally. The questionnaire utilised a combination of Likert-scale, multiple-choice, and free text questions. RESULTS In this study, 1593 final year medical students from 144 medical schools in 20 countries participated. The majority (n = 869/1496, 58.1%) believed global surgery to be relevant, despite 17.7% (n = 271/1535) having any exposure to global surgery. Most participants (n = 1187/1476, 80.4%) wanted additional resources on global surgery. Difficulty in providing appropriate care for patients living abroad (n = 854/1242, 68.8%) was the most common perceived barrier to a career in global surgery. CONCLUSIONS Participants believed global surgery was a relevant topic for medical students and wanted additional resources that they could access on global surgery. It is critical for medical students to become aware that global surgery is a field that aims to address inequity in surgical care not just internationally, but nationally and locally as well.
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Salgado LS, Campos LN, Yabrude ATZ, Buda AM, Amaral VF, Ribeiro LLPA, Barbosa FS, Pimentel RCS, Mishaly A, Neto JB, Bezerra AH, Alonso N. Assessing Brazilian Medical Student Awareness About Global Surgery: A Survey-Based Study. J Surg Res 2021; 271:14-23. [PMID: 34814048 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global surgery is an interdisciplinary field that advocates for access to equitable, affordable surgical services for all people. Engaging medical students in the field can strengthen the surgical workforce in low- and middle-income countries. We aim to investigate Brazilian medical students' acknowledgment of global surgery and their preferred learning platforms. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study through an anonymous Portuguese survey on Google Forms, consisting of 30 mixed multiple-choice and five-point Likert scale questions. Students enrolled in a Brazilian medical school from the second to sixth academic year fulfilled inclusion criteria. The association between qualitative variables was assessed using Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, or binary logistic model. RESULTS We received 1,345 responses from 208 medical schools. Only 20.9% (282/1,345) of participants reported awareness of global surgery, who were predominantly female. 96.5% (1,298/1,345) declared interest in knowing more about global surgery and participants indicated social media (71.6%, 202/282) as the prevalent manner to gain awareness on it, followed by webinars (63.5%, 179/282). Extracurricular classes were the most preferable option among students (61.4%, 827/1,345) to get acquainted with the field, followed by internships (59.4%, 812/1,345), workshops (57%, 767/1,345), and social media (53.4%, 730/1,345). The main obstacles to pursue a global surgery career were lack of national opportunities (32%, 431/1,345) and adequate training (25.4%, 341/1,345). CONCLUSION We outlined the most strategic pathways to raising awareness on global surgery among Brazilian medical students, providing relevant insights on its education in similar settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas S Salgado
- União Educacional do Vale do Aço, School of Medicine, Ipatinga, MG, Brazil.
| | - Letícia N Campos
- Universidade de Pernambuco, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Angela T Z Yabrude
- Universidade Regional de Blumenau, School of Medicine, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | | | - Vivian F Amaral
- Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Department of Medicine, Marília, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe S Barbosa
- Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, Department of Medicine, Marília, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Asher Mishaly
- Universidade Nove de Julho, School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - João B Neto
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Nivaldo Alonso
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Sebopelo LA, Bourcier AJ, Dada OE, Adegboyega G, Nteranya DS, Kanmounye US. Retrospective review of Google Trends to gauge the popularity of global surgery worldwide: A cross-sectional study. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021; 71:102950. [PMID: 34703591 PMCID: PMC8524754 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Global surgery is a growing movement worldwide, but its expansion has not been quantified. Google Search is the most popular search engine worldwide, and Google Trends analyzes its queries to determine popularity trends. We used Google Trends to analyze the regional and temporal popularity of global surgery (GS). Furthermore, we compared GS with global health (GH) to understand if the two were correlated. Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study examining Google Trends of GS and GH. We searched the terms "global surgery" and "global health" on Google Trends (Google Inc., CA, USA) from January 2004 to May 2021. We identified time trends and compared the two search terms using SPSS v26 (IBM, WA, USA) to run summary descriptive analyses and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Results The ten countries most interested in GS were India (5.0%), the United Kingdom (5.0%), Ireland (4.0%), the United States (4.0%), Australia (3.0%), Canada (3.0%), New Zealand (3.0%), Germany (2.0%), South Africa (2.0%), and Nigeria (1.0%). GS became more popular after 2015 (2.3% vs. 1.3%, P < 0.001) and was consistently less popular than GH (1.6% vs. 45.3%, P = 0.04). The difference between GS and GH interest levels increased after 2015 (45.4% vs. 42.9%, P = 0.04). Conclusion GS is less popular than GH, more popular in high-income countries, and has become more popular after 2015 when the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery published its seminal report. The World Health Organization passed resolution WHA 68.15. Future advocacy efforts should target low- and middle-income countries primarily.
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National, collaborative evaluation of medical student and faculty perspectives on global surgery - Survey of undergraduate respondents on global surgery education (SURGE): A cross-sectional study. Int J Surg 2021; 93:106049. [PMID: 34418568 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2021.106049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It is estimated that 28-32% of the global burden of disease can be treated with surgery. Most of this burden is concentrated in low and middle-income countries, underpinning the importance of the topic of global surgery (GS). The multidisciplinary principles of GS are increasingly recognised as being key to modern practice and as such, must be fostered at early stages of medical training. However, it is unclear whether medical students are being exposed to GS. This study aimed to assess the importance of GS and its presence in medical curricula. METHODS A novel, 22-item online questionnaire was developed and disseminated to medical students and faculty members using social media platforms. Data collection was conducted by a collaboration of medical students, who acted as regional leads at their institutions. RESULTS 795 medical students and 141 faculty members representing 38/42 (90.4%) of UK medical schools completed the questionnaire. Only 84 students (10.6%) were previously exposed to GS. Most students (66.3%) and faculty (60.6%) agreed that GS should be an integral part of the curriculum. Only 20 students (2.5%) were familiar with what a career in GS means. CONCLUSION Approximately two-third of students and faculty agree that global surgery should be an integral part of the mandatory curriculum. Findings of this study should underpin further incorporation of GS into curricula, as high-income countries can decisively contribute to achieving the global surgery 2030 targets, by training a new generation of clinicians who are ready for the challenges of the 21st century.
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