The Pan-African Academy
of Christian Surgeons is a general surgery residency for African national physicians. Founded in 1997, it presently is training 35 residents and has graduated 20 fully trained surgeons. The lessons learned and applicability to similar programs in Africa will be discussed.
Relatively uncommon
in N. America, tropical pyomyositis, acute and chronic osteomyelitis and septic arthritis are frequently encountered by medical missionaries in the developing world. Resources may be poor and specialists rare. This session is designed to give the nonspecialist medico a practical, case-oriented approach to these problems.
Abdominal pain in the tropics includes many of the same diseases as elsewhere but there are conditions that are unique. Using a case-based approach, some of the more common of the conditions that cause acute abdominal pain will be discussed. Approaches to diagnosis and treatment, especially those that are not obvious to the practitioner from N. America, will be discussed in an interactive style.
Refugees and OVCs (Orphan and Vulnerable Children) have common health problems
as extremely disadvantaged people, living through traumatic situations with limited resources. Using case presentations and
an interactive format, this workshop will explore Refugee and OVC care and treatment issues particularly from the speaker’s experience in Africa, Asia, and South America.
This session will discuss
how globalization is affecting medical education worldwide. We will discuss some of the requirements for, barriers,
to, and problems for the globalization of medical education to make a difference in developing countries. We will then discuss why there
is such a desperate need for medical education to build healthcare capacity, and will present examples of groups and individuals who have
used medical education to make a difference and as
an evangelistic opportunity. Participants will be challenged to consider both long- and/
or short-term opportunities to make a difference in medical care in developing countries by presenting opportunities and discussing the rewards now and for eternity.
