New surgery fellowship program in Ghana marks first graduation

A fellowship program to train Ghanaian colorectal surgeons has produced its first graduate and is expanding with continued support from Michigan Medicine and others.

Dr. Kwabena Agbedinu, MD, a surgeon at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, is Ghana’s first colorectal surgery specialist to be trained in-country, having finished the 1-year fellowship in November. He was among the first to apply for the program when it was announced in 2023.

“These are common conditions that plague a lot of people,” Agbedinu said. “Part of what attracted me to this program is the realization that one does not need a lot of high-level equipment to manage most of the cases in colorectal surgery. I felt this is an area where I can have a lot of impact.”

The fellowship is the brainchild of UMMS Associate Professor of Surgery Gifty Kwakye, who led a team of collaborators that included colleagues at three Ghanaian teaching hospitals as well as other US institutions. Agbedinu, as part of his training, spent four weeks at the University of Utah. Medical schools in Arkansas and Minnesota are also engaged, and a current fellow is expected to travel from Ghana to Ann Arbor this spring to train at Michigan Medicine.

Kwakye, who attended Agbedinu’s graduation ceremony in November, is now in discussions with her collaborators to expand the program. It was initially designed for physicians who, like Agbedinu, had completed a general surgery residency and already had several years of experience. A new iteration would expand the fellowship to three years but combine it with general residency.

“It’s very exciting and gratifying that the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons is realizing not only the need but the utility and skills of our early trainees,” Kwakye said. “We’ve submitted our curriculum for a three-year colorectal program at the residency level to fast-track more specialists.”

Early-program graduates like Agbedinu will shift into mentoring roles as the program continues to expand. “I love to impart knowledge and to mentor others. My aim is to make it one of the most sought-after sub-specialties in surgery,” he said. “I intend to reciprocate the great mentorship I received from Professor Kwakye. Her dedication to my training was exceptional. I want to make her proud and help to achieve her dream of producing highly skilled colorectal surgeons across Ghana.”