COSECSA provides a comprehensive training programme for trainees at 139 COSECSA accredited training hospitals across 19 countries. Training programmes are led by more than 630 COSECSA Accredited Trainers and over 71 Master Trainers.
Our Training Platforms
School for Surgeons is the e-learning platform of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). All COSECSA trainees, members and fellows are entitled to a login for this platform. School for Surgeons was developed as part of an Irish Aid supported collaboration between COSECSA and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). Further details of the collaboration programme are available here. The Surgery in Africa Journal Club section of the website is created and administered by the University of Toronto Office of International Surgery and the McMaster University International Surgery Desk.
School for Surgeons contains a wealth of content:
For MCS, FCS General Surgery, FCS Orthopaedics and FCS Urology candidates it is mandatory to complete a minimum of 6 out of 10 case studies posted each year. This applies to candidates in all years of their training. The cases studies are available in the MCS and FCS sections. The MCS, FCS General Surgery, FCS Orthopaedics and FCS Urology case studies are only open to candidates enrolled in each particular course.
In addition for MCS candidates it is mandatory to complete a minimum of 6 out of 10 modules in the Surgery in Africa Journal Club. This section is open to all candidates, members and fellows to engage with, but only mandatory for MCS candidates.
The Journals & Research section contains the e-journal portal and library which provide full access to a vast range of surgical and medical journals, as well as electronic books and more. This access is provided by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
The Surgical Trainers section provides resources for COSECSA accredited trainers and other fellows to assist them in their role as surgical trainers. Areas such as clinical teaching, making presentations, giving feedback and leadership for surgeons are explored.
In the Surgery for Non-Surgeons section can be found resources for non-surgeon cadres of medics trained to perform basic surgery.
The Other Training Resources section contains a wealth of further training resources, including excellent resources for the basic sciences, the BeST online training programme and access to ACS Surgery.
Trainees, members and fellows can access their electronic logbook in the E-Logbook section.
If you are entitled to a login and do not have one, please contact info@cosecsa.org
COSECSA continuously looks to improve its training and examinations processes. As part of this improvement, COSECSA introduced an electronic logbook (eLogbook). It is mandatory for all COSECSA candidates to log all of their operations in the electronic logbook, with the exception of those currently in a training programme in a PAACS hospital and candidates repeating from a previous year in which use of the eLogbook was not mandatory. Candidates with previous surgical qualification that are exempted from the full training period are also not required to use the eLogbook. Please find COSECSA paper based consolidation sheet here. You can login to the COSECSA logbook by clicking below and entering the same login details that you use for School for Surgeons.
The eLogbook is designed to work on computers, tablets and smartphones, and will work well even on a slow internet connection. Please see the below video for more information on how to use the eLogbook.
Logbook Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I can’t find my supervising surgeon in the supervised by field.
If your supervising surgeon is not listed, please choose the “other surgeon” option, and enter the name of your supervising surgeon. Supervising surgeon added in this way are reviewed at regular intervals and may be added to the logbook.
Q2. Can I fill in or edit the outcomes field later?
Yes, you can change your entry in the outcomes field at a later point, if fact you change any of the information that you have submitted. To do this, select view operations on the main page and click “edit” beside the operation you wish to edit.
Q3. What if I don’t have the patient ID number?
The patient ID data is not used by COSECSA, is it there to help you locate previous records. You should use your own hospital’s system, but if you don’t have this number you will still be able to enter the operation.
Q4. If I can’t find the operation I have performed listed in the operation type list, can I type in a new operation name?
There are over 2000 operations listed, and you really should be able to find a suitable heading for your operation. Please ensure that you have the correct specialty selected, as this will influence the list of operations that you are offered. If you absolutely can’t find the operation please email details to exams@cosecsa.org.
Q5. How does my supervising surgeon sign off on my logbook?
Currently, as with the previous paper based logbook, you need the physical signature of your supervising surgeon of each page of your operation list and consolidation sheet. You must print out your operation list and have it signed at regular intervals, as well as having your consolidation sheet signed immediately in advance of attendence at the COSECSA clinical examinations. You will need to bring a complete paper copy of your logbook (operation list and consolidation sheet) to your examination, with each page signed by your supervising surgeon, in order that these signatures may be verified.
Q6. I can’t access the consolidation sheet for my FCS specialty.
Consolidation sheets for the various FCS specilaties are being added throughout 2017. You will be contacted by the COSECSA Secretariat as the consolidation sheet for your specialty becomes available.
To find out more about the COSECSA E-Logbook please see the following introduction video