Dr. Kwon served as the Fellowship Director for the Ghana Fellowship, established in 2013 as a joint initiative between FIUGA and the Ghanaian College of Surgeons. The fellowship was created to address the urgent need for training Ghanaian physicians in the treatment of female pelvic floor disorders. Its goal has been to expand expertise in fistula repair, post-fistula repair incontinence, and the management of conditions such as genital prolapse, urinary incontinence, and overactive bladder syndrome.
This program is the first accredited FPMRS fellowship in West Africa, designed to train OB/GYN physicians as subspecialists. Completion requires both clinical and research components to achieve board certification in FPMRS.
In its early years, the fellowship emphasized basic surgical training. A significant milestone occurred in 2018, when the first female pelvic physical therapist was invited to teach in Ghana. During the visit, medical students, residents, physical therapists, fellows, and faculty were introduced to the principles of female pelvic floor physical therapy—an entirely new and eye-opening concept for many. They were able to recruit their own physical therapist to continue with this endeavor.
Fellows in Ghana now receive specialized training in performing surgeries for the most common female pelvic floor conditions, including complex obstetric fistulas, vaginal prolapse, bladder incontinence, and rectal prolapse. Their education also emphasizes comprehensive patient evaluation to ensure accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment planning.
To support ongoing development, regular Zoom conferences are held to discuss complex cases and review core topics. These virtual sessions have strengthened professional relationships and fostered mutual trust between collaborators.
During our most recent visit, we were joined by a maternal–fetal medicine specialist who trained Ob/Gyn residents in ultrasound techniques for assessing pregnancy complications. This addition proved invaluable for the residents’ education and highlighted the potential of broadening the program’s scope. Looking ahead, our foundation plans to involve more subspecialists to expand learning opportunities further.
Our most significant contribution to the Fellowship has been providing essential clinical resources, including donating four cystoscopes and other surgical instruments, to enhance surgical training and clinical capacity in Ghana.
Also, over the last two decades, our foundation has supported multiple long-term programs in Liberia and Bolivia, led by Dr. Jeffrey Freed, Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These programs provided not only hands-on surgical care for those in need but also educational experiences for medical students and residents in those countries. In both underdeveloped countries, surgeries included procedures such as gall bladder surgery, cancer surgery, hernia repairs, and a broad range of gynecological surgeries. Many missions included tailored approaches bringing specialists who were in grave need, like orthopedists, otolaryngologists, and ophthalmologists, all of whom teach and perform hands-on surgery.
Unfortunately, political instability in these countries led to the withdrawal of these programs. However, we continue to support the education of anesthesiologists and obstetricians/gynecologists in Liberia, hoping to create Board-certified specialists in these areas. Our aim and their contractual obligation is to return to Liberia and begin their own educational programs. The goal is to generate enough specialists so that the training of physicians in Liberia can be accomplished by Liberians in Liberia.
