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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Acad Med. 2014 Aug;89(8 0):S78–S82. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000331

Table 2.

Main Areas Identified by Focus Group Discussions and the Interventions Developed under the MEPI Program to Overcome Identified Deficiencies

Category Deficiencies perceived Initial response
Program structure and curriculum Training goals, structure, objectives not well delineated

  • Competency-based curricula (objective definition of goals, structure, and duration) of each specialty by specialty college

  • Revision and approval of specialty programs by the Mozambican Medical Council

Mentorship and supervision Unsatisfactory supervision of residents for most of their clinical training/activities


Lack of mentorship

  • Firm chief’s program to provide ongoing supervision on medical wards

  • Mentorship program (Mozambican and U.S. universities) to mentor and supervise the firm chiefs

  • Faculty development training in teaching and supervision activities

Subjective evaluation of the residents at the end of the program

  • Logbooks for registration of core activities
Financial resources Lack of financial resources to support training activities

  • Additional financial support for specialists and firm chiefs to enable them to be available for the teaching program
Lack of funding training in areas without local expertise

  • Residency exchange program between UCSD and UEM
Learning environment Limited bedside and didactic teaching

  • Daily bedside rounds, teaching of competencies, clinical discussions conducted by the firm chiefs

  • Formal weekly schedule of teaching conferences

  • Teaching room for didactic teaching

Communication No access to medical information or digital reference materials

  • Wireless Internet throughout clinical areas of hospital

  • Mobile tablet devices to residents and faculty

  • Dedicated terminals for resident access in resident study room

  • Computer terminals in UEM Medical Library and the department’s library

  • Digital reference materials (HINARI, Up-to-Date, and Elsevier medical textbooks)

Research Limited research activity during the residency program

  • Internal research focus group

  • Laboratory enhancements

  • Research training courses

  • Involvement of residents in the design and execution of research projects