Sereima Bale ASA Pacific Fellowship Program
The Pacific Fellowship provides ASA and NZSA members the opportunity to work and teach overseas with the aim of supporting anaesthesia training in the Pacific.
The program has run for over 20 years in a successful partnership with the Fiji National University (FNU). Fellows are based at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, for a minimum period of three (3) months undertaking teaching and clinical supervision of trainees enrolled in the FNU Anaesthesia Diploma and Masters programs.
The Fellowship is a major initiative of the ASA Overseas Development and Education Committee (ODEC).
The Colonial War Memorial Hospital is the major teaching and tertiary referral hospital for Fiji. Anaesthetic trainees come from all over Fiji and the surrounding Pacific Islands to train in Suva at various stages of their degree. The position aims to support teaching and quality through collaborations with local staff at Fiji National University (FNU) and staff employed by Fiji Ministry of Health (MOH).
The Fellowship is named after Dr Sereima Bale. Over many years of service in Fiji and the Pacific, Dr Bale has motivated and driven growth and safety in anaesthesia care. This fellowship recognises Dr Bale’s immense lifetime contribution to anaesthesia capacity building. The World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists awarded Dr Bale a Distinguished Service Award in Prague, 2021.
Longstanding collaborations have developed between Pacific Island Nations and Australia & New Zealand. In 2003 Dr Chris Bowden was the first fellow to work in Suva. Since this time the ASA has dedicated scholarship funds to support fellows to attend the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in a teaching and support capacity. As a large tertiary hospital, CWM receives referrals from all parts of Fiji, with the busier of the surgical units including General Surgery, Obstetrics, Orthopaedics and Paediatrics.
Aim of the Pacific Fellowship Program
The aim of the fellowship is to support education and training in the Pacific through:
- Supporting delivery of the FNU curriculum for both the Anaesthetic Diploma (1 year course) and the Masters of Anaesthesia program (4 year course)
- Exam preparation (written and vivas)
- Clinical supervision in the operating theatre
- General mentoring and support of projects
The ASA’s commitment has grown to now enable three fellows per year to attend for three-month positions each, administered by the ODEC and reporting to the ASA Board and Council. The Pacific Fellowship is the largest capital commitment of the ODEC annual budget. The overall goal is to build capacity within Suva, and also across the Pacific as trainees take what they have learned back to their home countries or regions. The fellowship is an ideal stepping stone for ongoing relationships with colleagues in the Pacific.
Outside of clinical and teaching work there are many opportunities for Fellows and their families to explore local areas. The annual Pacific Society of Anaesthetists conference is one such opportunity to connect with colleagues and explore a new location. The universal feedback from previous fellows has been that the local department and staff have warmly welcomed them. Many previous fellows have enjoyed continued involvement with colleagues in the Pacific.
For further information please contact the fellowship coordinator, Dr Andrew Downey