Exploring Irish Faculty Members' Experiences of Delivering a Multi-modal Medical Education Course in a Resource-limited Environment

Abstract

Introduction:In November 2022, a group of eleven Irish doctors traveled to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Nyabondo, Kenya with Global Emergency Care Skills (GECS), an Irish NGO. The group delivered a training course to healthcare staff in the hospital, in advance of the scheduled opening of a regional Major Trauma Center on site. This course incorporated didactic lectures, skills stations and simulated clinical scenarios and covered commonly encountered emergency presentations in low and middle income countries (LMICs).Method:A qualitative study was conducted using a free text questionnaire with faculty, exploring their experiences of education in a resource-limited environment. Responses were interpreted by performing thematic analysis to identify recurring themes.Results:All eleven faculty members completed the survey in full. An interrogation of the responses identified commonalities across the majority of faculty members. The main themes encountered were increased recognition of the lack of postgraduate training in LMICs, the challenge of devising material appropriate to a resource-limited setting, a growth in confidence and individual teaching ability, and a reaffirmation of the effectiveness of simulation teaching in medical education.Conclusion:This survey demonstrates the significant impact of teaching such a course on faculty members. Despite the challenges encountered, faculty members strongly felt that simulation training offered significant benefits. Survey respondents noted that moulage could be adapted to suit the needs of course participants without compromising on educational goals. In the absence of formal postgraduate education in LMICs, external agencies continue to play an important role in the delivery of structured training programs.