A comparison of training pathways for orthopaedic surgeons in Canada and Ukraine to align Ukrainian medical education with Western standards in the post-Soviet era.

Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, surgeons there have worked tirelessly to address the massive burden of injuries from the high volume of orthopedic and spine injuries sustained. The complexity of these wounds and sheer volume of patients has overwhelmed health system resources, which by Western standards were already deficient in the post-Soviet era. The post-Soviet legacy had already created systemic challenges that have limited the availability in Ukraine of many surgical techniques and equipment utilized in the West. Following current collaboration over 2 years between Ukrainian surgeons and McMaster University’s ASSIST project, it would also appear that the training pathway for Ukrainian orthopaedic surgeons is significantly different from that in Canada, with notable gaps in curriculum content, clinical exposure, and competency assessment, all of which affect patient outcomes. It is this gap in surgical training between Ukrainian and Canadian surgeons that I wish to address in this MITAC supported research. Our research proposes to study and contrast the current surgical training schemes in Ukraine with Canadian training programs to develop an orthopedic trauma residency program in Ukraine, similar to evidence-based programs in the West.

Faculty Supervisor:

Markian Pahuta;Paul Moroz

Student:

Partner:

Poltava State Medical University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education; Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

McMaster University

Program: