New WFSA Programme in East Jerusalem: Call for Volunteer Teachers

Modeled on the successful programmes in Nepal and Rwanda led by the CASIEF, assistance will be given to develop the academic aspect of the residency training programme. The CASIEF will provide the academic expertise in curriculum development, teaching methods and all areas of resident training. The WFSA will manage the administrative side of the programme in conjunction with the local organizers.

The programme began in January 2011 and we already have six volunteer teachers from Canada, the USA and Australia. We are seeking more volunteers to spend a minimum of one month in East Jerusalem teaching the residents in anesthesia both in the operating rooms and in the classroom. Round trip economy airfare and housing in East Jerusalem will be provided. The Canadian Programme Director is Professor Brendan Finucane, past Chair of Anesthesia at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, past President of ASRA and a well known and well respected teacher in anesthesia. Volunteers with teaching experience are preferred but all those interested should apply using the forms on the WFSA website:( Volunteer Teacher for Palestine Postgraduate Anesthesia Program form ) Those with strong sub-specialty interests would be particularly welcome.

The WFSA has a long history of involvement in the Middle East with a training programme based at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheva for many years. This was led by Prof Gaby Gurman and trained many young anesthesiologists from Eastern Europe and some from Africa. Following Prof Gurman’s retirement, the programme moved to the Edith Wolfson Centre in Tel Aviv, led by Dr Tibi Ezri, and the format changed a little. From the short term training provided at Beesheva, we now provide longer term, Fellowship-style, training in a range of areas such as obstetric anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, pain and intensive care. Again the beneficiaries have been mostly from Eastern Europe but with some from Kenya and Nigeria. All have received excellent training and have returned home very happy with their experience. The WFSA is most grateful to the teachers at both of these centres for their dedication to the students and the programmes.

The centre in East Jerusalem will pilot test a new model. It has the support of Al Quds University, the Palestinian Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, and the Palestinian Health Authority. We hope to see the growth and development of the anesthesia training programme into a strong, academic resource which will provide well trained anesthesiologists of whom everyone will be proud.