Background

Tanzania has the highest ratio of population per physician (125,000 persons/physician) in the world (1), and its burden of disease vastly outweighs the capacity of its healthcare workforce.  In 2010, the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMU College) in Moshi received a Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Programmatic Award to address this profound disparity. In the first cycle, MEPI focused primarily on undergraduate medical education with great success, linking multiple schools of medicine across Tanzania in efforts to increase the numbers of medical graduates, to retain them in the areas of greatest need, and to teach them research skills to perform regionally relevant investigations.  As MEPI expanded to engage four schools of medicine in Tanzania, it evolved to become MEPI-Junior faculty, (MEPI-JF).  In response to RFA-TW-14-003, the proposed project will focus on a comprehensive program to promote career development among junior faculty at two MEPI-JF institutions, KCMU College and the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS) in Mwanza.  Each of these institutions has strong existing partnerships with US schools of medicine, (KCMU College- Duke University and CUHAS- Weill Cornell Medical College).  The proposed comprehensive program will address topics identified as gaps in the first cycle of MEPI, and provide essential skills and institutional support for junior faculty to achieve success, and ultimately, career independence.

The MEPI leadership team and Duke University president Richard Brodhead. (left to right): Ahaz Kulanga (KCMUC), Paschalis Rugarabamu (Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences), Kien Mteta (Bugando Medical Center), Egbert Kessi (KCMUC), President Brodhead, Charles Muiruri (DGHI), John Bartlett (DGHI) and Dan Fitzgerald (Weill Cornell Medical College).

MEPI-JF objectives

• To provide rigorous research training for junior faculty, preparing them to pursue their mentored research training projects.

• To provide faculty mentors for junior faculty who will actively participate in the mentored research training projects, and serve as role models for trainees.

• To build upon the research culture created in the MEPI-JF first cycle, enhancing the competitiveness of junior faculty, increasing their productivity, initiating career development planning, understanding the roles and responsibilities of principal investigators, engaging future generations of junior investigators, and promoting an enabling environment for research.

• To sustain the training program beyond the five years of this award, and to extend its impact to others at KCMU College and CUHAS, creating a regional model of excellence in research training.

Year 1 Work Plan

In order to reach the program’s objectives. MEPI-JF work-plan was designed guided by the project logic model. In summary, work-plan of first year of MEPI-JF project is broken down in three phases. The first phase is the conception/initiation phase that consists of activities that are geared towards establishing teams for the program implantation. The second phase is the project-planning phase that highlights activities for setting up of infrastructure and purchases of materials and supplies for the project to take off. The third phase is the program implementation phase that consists of communication and program implementation to achieve program objectives. A detailed project timelines and team member duties and responsibilities as elaborated in appendices.

Expected health impact

Improved health outcomes through evidence based health care practice

Descriptions of the programs

Enrolled trainees on ART program