Abstract
A global surgical rotation program has been developed at La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital in San Ignacio, Belize, by the Department of Surgery at East Tennessee State University in 2014. It encompasses a one-month rotation for surgery residents to travel to Belize, accompanied by a senior surgical attending, to participate in direct patient care. Residents are able to operate under supervision and practice both perioperative and medical management. Practitioners often collaborate with permanent facility surgeons and internists in order to assist with cases, discuss different practice strategies, and, ultimately, tailor patient care. In addition to providing residents with surgical experience, this rotation aims to advance the overall standard of medical care available to the community. Additional aims include healthcare promotion and education of patients. While this rotation was developed to provide residents surgical experience in an underserved country, we hope that it will further cultivate volunteerism and foster future participation.
Highlights
The small developing country of Belize lies on the northeastern side of Central America and covers approximately 23,000 square miles [1]
A global surgical rotation program has been developed at La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital in San Ignacio, Belize, by the Department of Surgery at East Tennessee State University in 2014
The purpose of this study is to describe early trends in resident patient care involvement after the establishment of a global surgical rotation
Summary
The small developing country of Belize lies on the northeastern side of Central America and covers approximately 23,000 square miles (roughly the size of Massachusetts) [1]. Since its relatively recent independence in 1981, it has been battling multiple issues related to healthcare access and promotion of preventative medicine. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, in 2008 and 2012, there were 0.83 physicians and 1.1 hospital beds allotted per 1,000 members of the population [1]. Most practicing physicians have received international training and, there has been a growing international effort to help fill deficits in the medical field. With a population of more than 350,000, the most common etiologies of adult death are ischemic heart disease, diabetes-related complications, and interpersonal violence [2]. Received 01/07/2020 Review began 02/13/2020 Review ended 05/08/2020 Published 05/13/2020
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