Evaluation of a fellowship abroad as part of the initial training of the French military surgeon

• Published in: BMJ military health Vol. 167; no. 3; pp. 168 - 171
• Main Authors: Choufani, Camille, Barbier, O, Demoures, T, Mathieu, L, Rigal, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Air fares; Curricula; Hospitals; Internships; Military deployment; Orthopedics; Pediatrics; Population; Questionnaires; Supervision; Surgery; Djibouti; Senegal; military; training; fellowship; surgery
• ISSN: 2633-3767; 2633-3775
• DOI: 10.1136/jramc-2019-001303

IntroductionMilitary surgery requires skills that in general cannot be easily learnt in civilian training. Participation in a fellowship abroad adapted to the particular operating conditions of the foreign deployment is one route that might secure the necessary supplementary training. We therefore assessed the relevance of such a fellowship in the preparedness of young military surgeons in their first deployment.MethodsThis study included all active military surgeons who had completed a fellowship abroad during their initial training from 2004 to 2017 in Tchad or Senegal or Djibouti. The collection of data was performed using a questionnaire. The main judgement criterion was the rate of positive answers awarded to the relevance of this fellowship in the preparedness of respondents’ first foreign deployment.ResultsSixty-nine of 73 surgeons answered. Sixty-one estimated the fellowship had allowed them to feel more operational during their first mission, with 83.61% rating this feeling as important. Also, 61 recommended the use of a fellowship for war surgery training. The grade assigned to the surgical benefit was 8.48/10.ConclusionA fellowship abroad permits one to become familiar with surgical practice under austere circumstances and the particularities of the surgical structures at the front. Current trainees’ feedback confirms its relevance.