Trends in staffing an academic department of surgery in a tropical hospital: past, present, and future?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of staff mobility on student teaching, the training of young surgeons, and the volume of research in an academic department of surgery of a tropical teaching hospital.


METHODS
Retrospective study of academic staffing in the department of surgery of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital between 1975 and 1993.


METHODS
Zaria, Nigeria.


METHODS
42 academic staff, 1190 medical students, and 110 registrars (trainee surgeons).


METHODS
Number of academic staff in post, medical students, and registrars; number of research papers in latter years of the study.


RESULTS
In 19 years, 42 academic staff worked for varying periods (1-15 years) in the university department of surgery in Zaria. These included six professors, 12 senior lecturers, and 24 lecturers. Although staff numbers diminished, numbers of students and registrars increased year by year. Average number of publications dropped from a peak of 14.4 to 7.4 a year.


CONCLUSIONS
Staffing of the department has fallen steadily over the years and has adversely affected the department's primary responsibility of teaching students and training young surgeons.
Nmadu
P T
PT
Academic Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
D005178:Faculty; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009549:Nigeria; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital; D013663:Teaching; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000193:education; D000078329:Workforce