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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools
Human Resources for Health, Volume 10, Article 4, Year 2012
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Description
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa suffers a disproportionate share of the world's burden of disease while having some of the world's greatest health care workforce shortages. Doctors are an important component of any high functioning health care system. However, efforts to strengthen the doctor workforce in the region have been limited by a small number of medical schools with limited enrolments, international migration of graduates, poor geographic distribution of doctors, and insufficient data on medical schools. The goal of the Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS) is to increase the level of understanding and expand the baseline data on medical schools in the region.Methods: The SAMSS survey is a descriptive survey study of Sub-Saharan African medical schools. The survey instrument included quantitative and qualitative questions focused on institutional characteristics, student profiles, curricula, post-graduate medical education, teaching staff, resources, barriers to capacity expansion, educational innovations, and external relationships with government and non-governmental organizations. Surveys were sent via e-mail to medical school deans or officials designated by the dean. Analysis is both descriptive and multivariable.Results: Surveys were distributed to 146 medical schools in 40 of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries. One hundred and five responses were received (72% response rate). An additional 23 schools were identified after the close of the survey period. Fifty-eight respondents have been founded since 1990, including 22 private schools. Enrolments for medical schools range from 2 to 1800 and graduates range from 4 to 384. Seventy-three percent of respondents (n = 64) increased first year enrolments in the past five years. On average, 26% of respondents' graduates were reported to migrate out of the country within five years of graduation (n = 68). The most significant reported barriers to increasing the number of graduates, and improving quality, related to infrastructure and faculty limitations, respectively. Significant correlations were seen between schools implementing increased faculty salaries and bonuses, and lower percentage loss of faculty over the previous five years (P = 0.018); strengthened institutional research tools (P = 0.00015) and funded faculty research time (P = 0.045) and greater faculty involvement in research; and country compulsory service requirements (P = 0.039), a moderate number (1-5) of post-graduate medical education programs (P = 0.016) and francophone schools (P = 0.016) and greater rural general practice after graduation.Conclusions: The results of the SAMSS survey increases the level of data and understanding of medical schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. This data serves as a baseline for future research, policies and investment in the health care workforce in the region which will be necessary for improving health. © 2012 Chen et al; BioMed Central Ltd.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3311571/bin/1478-4491-10-4-S1.PDF
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3311571/bin/1478-4491-10-4-S2.PDF
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3311571/bin/1478-4491-10-4-S3.PDF
Authors & Co-Authors
Chen, Candice P.
United States, Washington, D.c.
The George Washington University
Buch, Éric
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Wassermann, Travis
United States, Washington, D.c.
The George Washington University
Frehywot, Seble
United States, Washington, D.c.
The George Washington University
Mullan, Fitzhugh S.M.
United States, Washington, D.c.
The George Washington University
Omaswa, Francis G.
Uganda, Kampala
African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation
Greysen, S. R.
United States, New Haven
Yale School of Medicine
Kolars, Joseph C.
United States, Ann Arbor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Dovlo, Delanyo Yao Tsidi
Ghana, Accra
Ministry of Health Ghana
El Gali Abu Bakr, Diaa E.
Sudan, Wad Medani
University of Gezira
Haileamlak, Abraham Mitike
Ethiopia, Jimma
Jimma University
Koumaré, Abdel Karim K.
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Olapade-Olaopa, Emiola Oluwabunmi
Nigeria, Ibadan
University of Ibadan
Statistics
Citations: 101
Authors: 13
Affiliations: 10
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1186/1478-4491-10-4
e-ISSN:
14784491
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Qualitative
Quantitative