UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Manu Kaushik, M.D., visited the city of New Delhi, India, to share his experience in rural surgery with local healthcare providers and surgeons.
Kaushik joined UAB in 2021, after completing his general surgery residency in Michigan. Since his time at UAB, he has worked to improve access to healthcare for Alabamians by serving in Greenville, Demopolis, and Bibb County, Alabama, to address the surgical needs of patients across the state.
While connecting with providers on his visit, Kaushik noted several similarities between rural patient populations across the geographic span. These parallels included: the need for more research on outcomes for rural healthcare, the need for initiatives to enhance health literacy, and the need to recruit healthcare providers to support the populations in these areas.
Kaushik pointed out that most resident surgeons globally tend to focus on specialty training, rather than first pursuing a general surgery practice, especially outside of larger metropolitan areas. With many rural surgeons nearing retirement age, Kaushik reiterated the looming need for many new physicians to serve at the community level.
Emphasizing the importance of collaboration, Kaushik also mentioned that establishing pathways for referring patients to larger academic centers, in the event of a larger diagnosis, can improve overall outcomes and the quality of care through streamlined systems for intake and the collaboration of the patient’s medical teams.
“My background in caring for patients across a variety of rural locations as a general surgeon has improved my ability to understand and address the needs of the many patient populations I serve. It has been a humbling experience, and I am thankful for the opportunities I've had at UAB. I encourage all resident trainees to consider pursuing general surgery as a specialty, or to practice some element of general surgery alongside their subspecialty practice. This might help gain exposure to a wide range of patient cases, which will refine their skills and benefit the patients they serve, now and in the future,” adds Kaushik.
About the UAB Surgery Community Network
The UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Community Network was created to expand the surgical support network for patients across the state and beyond, with a focus on communities with more limited access to surgical care. Kaushik is among the surgeons leading and actively supporting this initiative.