Surgical Residency Training in Developing Countries: West African College of Surgeons as a Case Study.

Background: In 1904, William Halsted introduced the present model of surgical residency program which has been adopted worldwide. In some developing countries, where surgical residency training programs are new, some colleges have introduced innovations to the Halsted's original concept of surgical residency training. These include 1) primary examination, 2) rural surgical posting, and 3) submission of dissertation for final certification.

Right lower quadrant pain in females. Is it appendicitis or gynecological?

Objective: To determine if a gynecological consultation is needed for patients who are labeled to have acute appendicitis.

Methods: A retrospective study carried out in Assir Central Hospital, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fifteen female patients who were clinically diagnosed and operated upon for acute appendicitis were discovered intra-operatively to have unrelated gynecological lesions, are presented.