Samoans Graduate With Masters Of Surgery In Orthopedics
Graduation Day
Photo: N.U.S
The Pacific Islands Orthopedic Association (PIOA) and the National University of Samoa are working to promote and advance contemporary orthopedic surgical care throughout the South Pacific Islands. The Pacific Islands Organization of America was founded in Honiara, Solomon Islands, and has since spread to all of the Pacific Island nations. There are trainees at PIOA from nine Pacific Island nations. (Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Kiribati, Timor Leste, Vanuatu, and the Federated States of Micronesia).
As part of a relationship with our NUS School of Medicine, the National University of Samoa and PIOA inked an MOU in 2018 to deliver the Master of Surgery (Orthopedics). Seven people have completed the program to date—two from Samoa, three from the Solomon Islands, and two from Fiji. There are now 24 more students registered in the program at various levels.
The program has weekly Zoom sessions and airs live in 3-week chunks twice a year. The visiting teams also make supervisory visits to the trainees. The main advantage of this training over the past ten years has been that PIOA has completely changed the way training is conducted in the Pacific by training doctors in their own nation, preventing a loss of each nation's labor force.
As a result, each of the trainees is better able to recognize the orthopedic care delivery requirements in their own nation and advocate for solutions. According to Dr. Shaun Mauiliu, "continued support we provide our trainees in mentorship and help them with implants and equipment to deliver proper orthopedic care in the Pacific" is a crucial component of the program.
At the end of each module, trainees take a final exam modeled after the FRACS final exam with examiners from Australia and New Zealand as well as alumni who are undergoing examiner training.
Dr. Areta Samuelu from Samoa and Pita Sovanivalu from Fiji received their diplomas during NUS's most recent graduation in March. Both Dr. Des Soares, PIOA's secretary and founder, as well as Dr. Shaun Mauiliu, the organization's president, were present during the ceremony.