ORTHOPAEDICS
Thimphu and Mongar, Bhutan – National Referral Hospital and the Eastern Regional Referral Hospital
The main program site in Thimphu needs volunteers to provide training to orthopaedic surgeons, a general surgeon, orthopaedic assistants and technicians. Assignments are 4 weeks. In addition, volunteers who have previously volunteered in Thimphu are needed for 6 – 8 week assignments in Mongar located in the eastern part of the country. Volunteers for this program must be board eligible or board certified, retired and actively practicing surgeons and/or in either private practice or with academic appointments. Final year residents are accepted if paired with an attending.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope
Volunteers provide training in orthopaedic procedures to Cambodian physicians who will assume responsibility for orthopaedic care at SHCH. Training provided in many sub-specialty areas including internal fixation, osteomyelitis, hand, arthroscopy, foot and ankle surgery, polio deformities, upper limb, and brachial plexus surgery. Volunteers for this program must be board eligible or board certified, newly retired surgeons are welcome. Final year residents are accepted if paired with an attending. Assignments are 2 – 4 weeks.
Bamenda NW Province, Cameroon – Mbingo Baptist Hospital
Volunteers provide bedside and hands-on training to residents at Mbingo located in the NW Province of this central African country. Volunteers also contribute to the development of a curriculum for an orthopaedic officer training program. Volunteers for this program must be board eligible or board certified and hold a current license, retired surgeons are welcome. Assignments are 4 weeks.
Wenzhou, China – Wenzhou Medical School
Volunteers provide orthopaedic sub-specialty training for residents and physicians in the following areas: trauma, sports medicine, MSK oncology, upper extremity, spine, foot and ankle, pediatric orthopaedic and adult reconstruction. Volunteers for this program must be board eligible or board certified. Residents are accepted if paired with an attending. Assignments are 3 – 4 weeks.
Yanji, China – Yanbian University Fuzhi Hospital
Volunteers provide training focused on surgery and treatment of the knee and other extremities. The teaching is primarily directed to the senior orthopaedic surgeon, although the junior surgeon also participates. To fulfill the goals of the program, volunteers will provide consultations in outpatient clinics, participate in ward rounds, deliver lectures, and demonstrate surgical techniques.Volunteers for this program must be board eligible or board certified. Assignments are 2 – 4 weeks.
San Jose, Costa Rica – Caja Costaricese de Seguro Social
Volunteers provide training to orthopaedic residents and staff at 7 hospitals which are part of the CCSS (Costaricese de Seguro Social System). Training provided on a wide variety of topics including but not limited to scoliosis surgery, thoracoscopy, pelvic osteotomies, surgical treatment of arthroscopy and sports medicine, total joint arthroplasty, hand surgery, spine surgery and tumors, pediatric orthopaedic surgery, and trauma surgery. Active or retired orthopaedic surgeons are recruited. Volunteers must be board certified/eligible, hold a current license, and have a minimum 3 years of active practice experience. Residents are accepted if paired with an attending. Assignments are 1 week.
Kumasi, Ghana - Komfo Anoykye Teaching Hospital
Volunteers are needed to provide orthopaedic training to faculty and to residents in a new orthopaedic residency training program. Volunteers should have trauma and/or pediatrics experience. Assignments are 2 to 4 weeks. Housing is provided.
Blantyre, Malawi – Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
Volunteers are needed to provide educational support to the Department of Surgery, specifically to train Orthopaedic Clinical Officers (OCO's). After completing their training, OCO's are assigned to regional hospitals which do not have orthopaedic surgeons on staff. Both generalists and sub-specialists are recruited. Volunteers for this program must be board eligible or board certified. Residents are accepted if paired with an attending. Assignments are 4 weeks.
Chisinau, Moldova – State University of Medicine and Pharmacy
This program focuses on providing orthopaedic training in a variety of sub-specialties including arthroscopy, hand and upper extremity surgery, hip and knee surgery, pediatrics, spine surgery, and trauma, to local physicians, residents, and medical students. Volunteers must be board eligible or board certified and have extensive sub-specialty training. Assignments are 2 weeks and are scheduled in the fall and spring.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – National Traumatology and Orthopaedic Research Center
Volunteers provide training to orthopaedic surgery faculty members and orthopaedic residents working at the Center. Specialty areas include pelvic and acetabular trauma, knee arthroscopy, pediatric orthopaedics, hand surgery, and other orthopaedic sub-specialty areas as identified by the site. Volunteers need to have five years of professional experience. Volunteers must be board eligible/certified and hold a current license. 5 years of experience is required. Final year residents will be eligible to volunteer if paired with an experienced volunteer surgeon. Retired volunteers are welcome. Assignments are a minimum of 2 weeks.
Managua, Nicaragua – Hospital Escuela Antonio Lenin Fonseca, Hospital Escuela Roberto Calderón, Hospital Militar Escuela and Hospital Fernando Velez Paiz
Volunteers are needed to improve the training in the state hospital and military hospital residency programs by providing clinical and didactic education in general orthopaedics and all specialty areas. Volunteers for this program may be retired or in active practice. All areas of expertise are accepted, but one must have at least 3 years of experience. Sub-specialists and generalists are welcome. Volunteers must hold a current license in the US or Canada and must be board certified/eligible. Residents may volunteer if paired with an experienced volunteer. Assignments are 2 weeks.
Lima, Peru – EsSalud Hospital System
Volunteer duties include rounds and consultations with staff and residents, patient selection, surgical demonstrations, lectures, and other activities. Generalists as well as sub-specialists are needed. Volunteers must have 5 years of professional experience. Residents may volunteer if paired with an attending. Assignments are 2 weeks.
Vieux Fort, St. Lucia – St. Jude Hospital
St. Jude Hospital experienced a major fire September 09, 2009. The Hospital has been completely evacuated and is now located at the George Odlum Stadium a few miles away from the hospital site. The majority of services have been reestablished with approximately 50 60 beds available. Previous volunteers to the site preferred. Assignments are 2 to 4 weeks.
Mthatha, South Africa – Bedford Orthopaedic Centre
Volunteers are involved in daily morning conferences, surgery, teaching residents and instructing a class of Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioners. Volunteers who are board eligible/certified, retired or in active practice; those with academic appointments as well as private practice physicians are accepted for this program. Volunteers must hold a current license. Final year residents are considered. Assignments are 4 weeks.
Moshi, Tanzania – Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC)
Volunteers provide training at KCMC to orthopaedic faculty members and residents. Generalists are needed as well as sub-specialists in a variety of specialties including but not limited to hand, foot and ankle, knee and hip, spine, and osteomyelitis. Training provided through presentations, participating in clinics and rounds, as well as hand-on demonstrations. Volunteers must hold a current license. Residents may volunteer if paired with an experienced volunteer. Assignments are 2 – 4 weeks.
Kampala, Uganda – Mulago Hospital
Volunteers participate in teaching residents in the Masters of Medicine of Orthopaedic Surgery Program as well as teaching orthopaedic assistants, medical students and physicians at the national teaching hospital. Surgeons also conduct clinics and operating sessions with Ugandan doctors in upcountry regional hospitals. Volunteers must be board eligible/certified in orthopaedics. Physicians may be either retired or in active practice; also those with academic appointments or those involved in private practice are welcome. Volunteers must have at least 1 year of professional experience and hold a current license. Assignments are 4 weeks.
To learn more about these programs, contact the HVO office and speak to a recruiter or fill out a Contact Us form. Copies of the complete program description are available on the HVO KnowNET. To find further information on volunteering with HVO visit the Volunteer Toolkit.