Surgical Residency Training in Developing Countries: West African College of Surgeons as a Case Study.
In 1904, William Halsted introduced the present model of surgical residency program which has been adopted worldwide. In some developing countries, where surgical residency training programs are new, some colleges have introduced innovations to the Halsted's original concept of surgical residency training. These include 1) primary examination, 2) rural surgical posting, and 3) submission of dissertation for final certification.



Our information was gathered from the publications on West African College of Surgeons' (WACS) curriculum of the medical schools, faculty papers of medical schools, and findings from committees of medical schools. Verbal information was also gathered via interviews from members of the WACS. Additionally, our personal experience as members and examiners of the college are included herein. We then noted the differences between surgical residency training programs in the developed countries and that of developing countries.



The innovations introduced into the residency training programs in the developing countries are mainly due to the emphasis placed on paper qualifications and degrees instead of performance.



We conclude that the innovations introduced into surgical residency training programs in developing countries are the result of the misconception of what surgical residency training programs entail.
Department of Surgery University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic address: ogajao@gmail.com.
Oluwole Gbolagunte
OG
Ajao
State University of New York Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, New York, USA.
Adekola
A
Alao
D000354:Africa, Western; D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003479:Curriculum; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D066231:Surgeons
American board of surgery; Canadian fellowship examination; Halsted; Surgical residency training; West African College of Surgeons