General Surgery experience for a fourth year general surgery resident for surgical education. I will be rounding and operating with Cambodian surgeons and staff in Phnom Penh for a 4 week experience to learn about medical practices in a developing country with limited resources.
Cambodian patients and surgeons/medical professionals will be benefited from this project. Cambodia has a population of over 16 million individuals, however there are an estimated 1.4 doctors and 9.5 nurses for every 10,000 individuals which is substantially below average for surrounding East Asia and Pacific region, with an average of 9 doctors and 19 nurses for every 10,000 patients.
Due to these inequities in the need for qualified providers, I will be seeking to contribute to providing clinical and surgical care, learning, teaching, and engaging in a multi-cultural endeavor of medical education. I hope to gain new skills in my surgical armamentarium for my future practice and to share my surgical and technological experiences with my Cambodian colleagues. This experience will contribute to my experiences in international medicine, as I plan to continue to volunteer my surgical services abroad to developing and underserved populations as a soon-to-be attending surgeon.
The hospital staff, medical students, surgery residents, the junior and senior level attendings generously opened up their hospital to allow me to contribute to the care of the kind people of Phnom Penh. Learning their practices of open surgery and imparting my knowledge of laparoscopic techniques was a beautiful cultural and scientific experience. Finding ways to communicate in English, French, and body language for a shared interest and passion for medicine was a bonding experience. I am humbled and honored to have had this opportunity and hope to return again to continue to build on these new friendships and bonds.
