Research in Surgery — From Ward Rounds to Published Papers

Webinar Overview

This webinar is designed to empower surgical residents and early-career surgeons with practical, actionable skills to conduct and publish research within the realities of training in Tanzania. Whether you're struggling to turn your clinical observations into a research question, or you have data sitting in a notebook but don't know where to publish — this session is for you.

Webinar Objectives

By the end of this 120-minute session, participants will be able to:

• Formulate a viable research question based on daily clinical encounters in Tanzanian wards.
• Select a study design that is feasible within the time constraints of a residency program.
• Utilize digital tools for efficient data collection to minimize paperwork.
• Identify specific regional and international journals that prioritize surgical research from LMICs (Low-to-Middle Income Countries).

Webinar Outline (120 Minutes)

I. The "Why" and the "What" (20 Minutes)

• The Burden of Evidence: Why we can't always rely on Western "Standard of Care" in resource-limited settings.
• The PICO Framework for Research Questions: Transforming a clinical "problem" into a research "question."
• Example: Comparing honey-impregnated gauze vs. silver sulfadiazine for burn wounds in a rural setting.
• Feasibility (FINER Criteria): Is it Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant?

II. Designing Your Study (30 Minutes)

• The "Resident-Friendly" Designs:
  • Case Reports: Turning your unique surgical cases into published reports.
  • Retrospective Chart Reviews: Leveraging hospital records.
  • Prospective Audits: Setting up a simple registry for common procedures (e.g., appendectomies).
  • Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis.
• Hierarchy of Evidence
• Basic Stats for Surgeons: Understanding p-values, confidence intervals, and when to call a professional statistician.

III. The Tanzanian "Paperwork" Pathway (20 Minutes)

• Ethics 101: Navigating your University/Hospital IRB and the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR).
• The Timeline: Realistic expectations for how long approval takes in Tanzania.
• Funding: Small grants and departmental support available for residents.

IV. Data Collection in the Trenches (20 Minutes)

• Goodbye Paper, Hello Mobile: Introduction to KoboToolbox or Google Forms for real-time data entry.
• Maintaining a Research Log: Integrating data collection into your daily rounds without burning out.
• Patient Privacy: Ensuring confidentiality in a busy public hospital.

V. Publication & Impact (20 Minutes)

• The Anatomy of a Manuscript: Short-cuts to writing the Introduction and Discussion.
• Where to Publish: Identifying LMIC-friendly journals for surgical research.
• The Dissertation-to-Publication Pipeline: How to get your mandatory MMed thesis published.

VI. Q&A and Resource Sharing (10 Minutes)

• Open floor for troubleshooting specific research ideas.
• Shared resources, templates, and recommended reading.

How to Join

1. Register for the event using the button on this page.
2. Receive confirmation — the Zoom meeting link will be available on this page after registration.
3. Join on event day — click the meeting link to join via Zoom at the scheduled time.

Distinguished Faculty

This webinar is organized under the Tanzania Surgical Association Residents' Chapter (TSARC) monthly webinar series. All surgical residents, early-career surgeons, and interested healthcare professionals are welcome to attend.

For inquiries, contact us at info@tsaorg.tz or visit tsaorg.tz.