Why surgeries through clinical rotations is a unique opportunity for a surgery trainee
In countries like USA, UK , it is already a established practice that clinical rotation is a unique opportunity for a surgery trainee to work away from the hierarchy and strict academic operative environment, residents can work directly with an experienced surgeon in a ‘‘nonthreatening, results-oriented environment.’’ They can focus on maximizing their learning and often participate in operative cases of greater complexity. Moreover, they can learn a broader spectrum of operative procedures such as a caesarean delivery, hysterectomy, or prostatectomy, which are not routinely part of the current general surgery curriculum in the United States. The same practice can be adopted in our Indian scenario also to avail the following benefits of clinical rotations.
Surgeons can work together to find solutions to complex operative problems. This enhances their training and affords them a unique operative experience that can equip them with lifelong problem-solving skills.
Culturally ‘‘They will be exposed to the disparities in access to healthcare, which in turn, can build compassion and character as well as instill a sense of humanitarianism and volunteerism in them.
The rotation can provide a unique research opportunity to document rare and complex cases or practical solutions for operative problems encountered in resource-poor areas
In case of limited resources respondents listed benefits related to increased creativity, innovation, and ingenuity. The most common benefit noted was to learn how to optimize available resources, which included the need to consider costs when treating patients, operate in an equipment-restricted environment and still conserve resources, render good postoperative care with limited laboratory support, maintain flexibility in treating patients with limited therapeutic options, and solve problems creatively.
Residents ‘‘begin to understand the challenges surgeons in resource-poor countries face and how to develop alternative methods to treat.
Benefit to foreign institution/Global Surgery, the most frequent benefit cited was having the opportunity to form a sustainable relationship with foreign counterparts aimed towards collaboration, mutual respect, understanding, and support. Respondents have quoted‘ ‘Local surgeons are encouraged to grow and become leaders in their own respective communities,’’ another respondent wrote that ‘‘foreign institutions can directly benefit from the transfer of U.S. technology and practices through the resident.’’
Summary ‘‘Global surgery rotations can rejuvenate surgeons, reminding them why they went into surgery.’’ The chance to help others in need is another benefit listed, aside from forming lifelong meaningful friendships around the globe.
Global surgery: Awareness of the growing burden of operative disease worldwide is highlighted through international surgery rotations in that they ‘‘sensitize people to a surgical responsibility that is a global burden, which can be learnt by no other way other than experiencing the fact of paucity of surgical expertise in many areas of the world.’’
