During the first two weeks of February, I traveled to Rwanda to visit the University of Global Health Equity Butaro Campus and the Kibogora Level Two Teaching Hospital. The purpose of my trip was to provide educational training and clinical care.
The first week of my visit was spent at the main Butaro Campus. I taught a week-long surgical boot camp that focused on technical skills such as opening and closing laparotomy incisions (a skill required of non-surgeon general practitioners in this region), as well as venous cutdowns, ostomy creation and bowel anastomoses. All of these skills were taught on low-fidelity simulation models. We also had interactive sessions on perioperative care in which the students were very engaged.
During the second week of the visit, I spent time with our cohort of medical students at Kibogora Level Two Teaching Hospital in southwestern Rwanda, near Lake Kivu. We saw a wide variety of pathology, and had extensive bedside teaching rounds focusing on basic surgical principles as well as pre- and post-operative care points. In the operating room, we saw pathology such as a renal hydatid cyst, incarcerated inguinal hernias, perforated appendicitis, and chronic wounds.
Overall, I had a great time visiting the main Butaro Campus and Kibogora Level Two Teaching Hospital in Rwanda. I enjoyed the opportunity to teach the trainees technical skills, basic surgical principles, and pre- and post-operative care points.
Dr. Kristin Long is an Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrine Surgery and the Vice Chair of Global Surgery.