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Shayo CS, Woodfield J, Shabhay ZA, Ikwuegbuenyi CA, Mtei J, Yonah B, Ndossi MY, Massawe SL, Magawa DG, Mndeme H, Kwelukilwa D, Bureta CA, Ngeregeza J, Hoffman C, Mangat HS, Mchome LL, Härtl R, Shabani HK. Neurosurgical Education in Tanzania: The Dar es Salaam Global Neurosurgery Course. World Neurosurg 2023; 180:42-51. [PMID: 37659749 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.08.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postgraduate neurosurgical training is essential to develop a neurosurgical workforce with the skills and knowledge to address patient needs for neurosurgical care. In Tanzania, the number of neurosurgeons and neurosurgical services offered have expanded in the past 40 years. Training opportunities within the country, however, are not sufficient to meet the needs of residents, specialists, and nurses in neurosurgery, forcing many to train outside the country incurring associated costs and burdens. We report on the Dar es Salaam Global Neurosurgery Course, which aims to provide local training to neurosurgical health care providers in Tanzania and surrounding countries. METHODS We report the experience of the Global Neurosurgery Course held in March 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We describe the funding, planning, organization, and teaching methods along with participant and faculty feedback. RESULTS The course trained 121 participants with 63 faculty-42 from Tanzania and 21 international faculty. Training methods included lectures, hands-on surgical teaching, webinars, case discussions, surgical simulation, virtual reality, and bedside teaching. Although there were challenges with equipment and Internet connectivity, participant feedback was positive, with overall improvement in knowledge reported in all topics taught during the course. CONCLUSIONS International collaboration can be successful in delivering topic-specific training that aims to address the everyday needs of surgeons in their local setting. Suggestions for future courses include increasing training on allied topics to neurosurgery and neurosurgical subspecialty topics, reflecting the growth in neurosurgical capacity and services offered in Tanzania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consolata S Shayo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | - Julie Woodfield
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Zarina A Shabhay
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Chibuikem Anthony Ikwuegbuenyi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - John Mtei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Boaz Yonah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Maxigama Y Ndossi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Sylvia L Massawe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Dorcas G Magawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Hadija Mndeme
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Donatila Kwelukilwa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Costansia A Bureta
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Japhet Ngeregeza
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili National Hospital - Mloganzila, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Caitlin Hoffman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Halinder S Mangat
- Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA; Neurocritical Care Department, University of Kansas Medical Centre, Wichita, Kansas, USA
| | - Laurent Lemeri Mchome
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Roger Härtl
- Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA; New York-Presbyterian - Och Spine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hamisi K Shabani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Waterkeyn F, Woodfield J, Massawe SL, Mzimbiri JM, Shabhay ZA, Bureta CA, Sommer F, Mndeme H, Magawa DG, Kwelukilwa D, Ndossi MY, Kinghomella AA, Kaale AJ, Ahmed S, Mtei J, Minja F, Moses M, Medary B, Hussain I, Ikwuegbuenyi CA, Petr O, Kiloloma WO, Rutabasibwa NB, Mangat HS, Mchome LL, Härtl R, Shabani HK. The effect of the Dar es Salaam neurosurgery training course on self-reported neurosurgical knowledge and confidence. Brain Spine 2023; 3:101727. [PMID: 37383451 PMCID: PMC10293233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bas.2023.101727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine organises an annual neurosurgery training course in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The course teaches theory and practical skills in neurotrauma, neurosurgery, and neurointensive care to attendees from across Tanzania and East Africa. This is the only neurosurgical course in Tanzania, where there are few neurosurgeons and limited access to neurosurgical care and equipment. Research question To investigate the change in self-reported knowledge and confidence in neurosurgical topics amongst the 2022 course attendees. Material and methods Course participants completed pre and post course questionnaires about their background and self-rated their knowledge and confidence in neurosurgical topics on a five point scale from one (poor) to five (excellent). Responses after the course were compared with those before the course. Results Four hundred and seventy participants registered for the course, of whom 395(84%) practiced in Tanzania. Experience ranged from students and newly qualified professionals to nurses with more than 10 years of experience and specialist doctors. Both doctors and nurses reported improved knowledge and confidence across all neurosurgical topics following the course. Topics with lower self-ratings prior to the course showed greater improvement. These included neurovascular, neuro-oncology, and minimally invasive spine surgery topics. Suggestions for improvement were mostly related to logistics and course delivery rather than content. Discussion and conclusion The course reached a wide range of health care professionals in the region and improved neurosurgical knowledge, which should benefit patient care in this underserved region.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Waterkeyn
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Julie Woodfield
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
| | - Sylvia Leon Massawe
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Juma Magogo Mzimbiri
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Department of Neurosurgery, Arusha Lutheran Medical Center, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Zarina Ali Shabhay
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Fabian Sommer
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- University of Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas, USA
| | - Hadija Mndeme
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Dorcas Gidion Magawa
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Donatila Kwelukilwa
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Aingaya Jackson Kaale
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Shakeel Ahmed
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - John Mtei
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Fidelis Minja
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Moses Moses
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Branden Medary
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- New York-Presbyterian - Och Spine, New York, USA
| | - Ibrahim Hussain
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
| | - Chibuikem Anthony Ikwuegbuenyi
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
| | - Ondra Petr
- Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wanin Othman Kiloloma
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Halinder Singh Mangat
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- University of Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas, USA
| | - Laurent Lemeri Mchome
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Roger Härtl
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- New York-Presbyterian - Och Spine, New York, USA
| | - Hamisi Kimaro Shabani
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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