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Advanced Colorectal Surgery Clinical Fellowship

Universiti Sains Malaysia
(5/5) - 1 reviews

Advanced Colorectal Surgery Clinical Fellowship program at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia, aims to provide exposure to the training fellows on the principal management of most colorectal for benign and malignant disease.

Main Areas of Interest

General component of colorectal surgery and its related oncology, functional and emergency is also a core of the programme.

Techniques You Will Learn

Surgical techniques you will learn during your program here:

Objectives of the program:

To expose the fellows to the most common colorectal surgery procedures in benign and malignant colorectal disease.
To expose the fellows to common colon, rectal and anal pathology, and its relation to general colorectal disease
To expose to the fellows and provide experience in the management of colon, rectal and anal tumors, especially the surgical procedures.
To facilitate the fellows to be able to perform the clinical assessment, staging the tumors and perform most colon, rectal and anal surgical oncology procedures.
To expose the fellow to the multidisciplinary roles of plastic reconstructive, pathologist, radiologist, oncologist, and rehabilitation team in managing colon, rectal and anal oncology patients.
To produce a highly competent and shadow colorectal surgeon practicing a sound surgical oncology practice

(Core, Advanced & Specialized: Knowledge and procedures):

Open Colon and Rectal Surgery for benign and malignant disease
Minimal Invasive Surgery (Laparoscopic) Colorectal Surgery
Emergency Gastrointestinal Surgery
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Endoscopy Gastrointestinal
Laser in Proctology
ERAS in Colorectal surgery
Nutrition support in gastrointestinal surgery
Functional and Motility in Gastrointestinal Disease
Research and clinical trial in Colorectal Surgery

Government of Malaysia may charge an additional fee of RM 500 for temporary practicing certification, and and Instituition visa documentation processing fee- that is not included in your tuition fee.

Curriculum

The programme duration: (2 weeks minimum, 6 months maximum)
Fellows will be supported to settle down into their new environment. A desk space will be allocated. Full induction (safety, laboratory practices, personal welfare) will be provided by the University’s designated staff and by myself. I will arrange an initial meeting with the fellow to discuss the objectives of the training.

The fellow will be fully trained in all activities of the Department. They will be able to engage with me (supervisor) and other members of the group in different surgical procedures. They will also be engaged in clinical research and write a manuscript during their stay depending on their interest.

The fellow will be given the opportunity to actively participate in group meetings and other academic activities within the School and the University, including attending workshops, conferences, etc. They will also be encouraged to present their work orally at a group meeting at least once before they complete their visit.

Towards the end of the training, I will have a meeting with the fellow to discuss plans to publish their clinical work (if enough data collected) or disseminate their findings at a future conference.

Throughout the training, any particular challenges or specific requests of a fellow will be fully considered to ensure a responsive, relevant and adequate training plan is developed for them.

Tentative Schedule
Time/Days: 8.00 am – 5.00 pm, oncall standby is optional

Sunday: Ward round, Clinic, OT
Monday: Cases Conference/Census/Ward Round, OT
Tuesday: Ward round, OT, Multidisciplinary meeting
Wednesday: Grand Ward round/Journal Club/Research Protocol, OT
Thursday: Ward round/Endoscopy, Pre operative discussion

Case Conferences – Biweekly radiology and pathology combined case
discussion sessions

Accommodation

Logistic and Facilities
-Language: English as main medium for teaching and surgery
-Accommodation: Many apartment rooms, hotels, motel and hostel are available
within walking distance to the campus area. This accommodation is affordable since
the currency is like MYR10 is USD2 and most are fully furnished. Some examples
are:

Anjung Vista Apartment, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab 2, Kubang Kerian, 16150, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Contact No; +06-016-939 6655 (Please refer website for online reservation)
I-Residence condominium, address 15200, 1865, Jalan Abdul Kadir Adabi, Taman Kenangan, 15200 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Contact No: +06-019-590 8791 (Please refer website for online reservation)
Avee Budget Motel, PT 1614, 1615, Persiaran KK 6, Kubang Kerian, 15200 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Inside campus hostel DK5 and DK 6 (need to prebook early), USM Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

-Check in Airbnb.com for accommodation

Fees and Program Logistics

This program has the following durations available:

Duration	Fee
2 weeks	$625.00
4 weeks	$1,000.00
8 weeks	$1,500.00
12 weeks	$1,875.00

This program allows Merit Applications. This program allows merit-based applications for virtual and onsite clinical and research programs. If you are successfully awarded under this category, Trialect or the host mentor will cover the tuition fee only. All applications will be evaluated based on merit. Due to the high level of competition, the chances of being selected under the merit category are quite limited.

Who Can Apply

Surgeons, Physicians, Surgical Trainee

Host Details

Host Name: Andee Dzulkarnaen Zakaria

Affiliation: Universiti Sains Malaysia

Address: Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan

Website URL: https://hospital.usm.my

Disclaimer:It is mandatory that all applicants carry workplace liability insurance, e.g., https://www.protrip-world-liability.com (Erasmus students use this package and typically costs around 5 € per month - please check) in addition to health insurance when you join any of the onsite Trialect partnered fellowships.

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Onsite/On-Campus Program

Fellowship - Clinical Programs

Malaysia

Application Review Deadline:

Dec 15th, 2025

Apply Now

Featured Reviews

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🌟 Overall Sentiment: Highly Positive

Advanced Colorectal Surgery Clinical Fellowship has received an average rating of 5/5 from most participants, indicating a very high satisfaction rate. The fellowship is commended for its extensive clinical exposure, well-rounded curriculum, and dedicated mentorship.

Key Strengths

🧑‍🔬 Advanced Surgical Experience – Fellows gain in-depth understanding of colorectal surgical procedures, patient care, and treatment planning.
👨‍🏫 Expert Mentors – The fellowship faculty is highly knowledgeable, supportive, and committed to the growth of the fellows.
🤝 Professional Networking – Fellows have the opportunity to interact with leading professionals in the field and collaborate on impactful research projects.
🌍 Comprehensive Clinical Training – The program allows fellows to develop a broad set of surgical skills, enhance their clinical judgment, and gain exposure to diverse patient populations.

Himubali Muzyamba 3 months ago

(5/5)

1. Introduction
The University of Zambia Ridgeway Campus (UNZA) through the Strengthening Health
Professional Workforce Education Programs for Improved Quality Health Care in Zambia
(SHEPIZ) sponsored a month long fellowship at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Health
Campus located in Kelantan state in Malaysia. The fellowship was hosted at the Hospital
Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), a 1000-bed capacity teaching hospital within the health
campus through auspices of Trialect Inc.
The fellowship commenced at the USM health campus on 06-02-25. I received a warm welcome
from Prof Dr. Andee Dzulkarnaen Zakaria, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Senior Lecturer at
USM School of Medicine, Department of Surgery. The department of surgery consist of various
subspecialties including Vascular, Cardiothoracic, Urology, Hepatopancreatobiliary, Colorectal
and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery. Despite my designation to Colorectal surgery unit, the
departmental faculty were very gracious to allow me to rotate in other subspecialties which
provided for a diverse exposure and an enriching experience.

2. Clinical Schedule
The weekly schedule began with the outpatient clinic on Sunday. Here patients were
evaluated for possible surgery in upcoming elective theatre days. This was also the point
of care for review of post-operative patients who had been discharged.
The weekly audit for cases done in the prior week was done on Mondays. It provided an
opportunity for inter-specialty feedback on theatre cases done, clinical reasoning and
patient outcomes. One surgical registrar was assigned to present the audit and questions
were asked with regards to operative decision making, post-operative care, adverse
events and outcomes. After this academic activity, the team transitioned to the operating
theatre (OT) for Colorectal surgery cases.

The week progressed to Journal Club which was the first order of business on Tuesdays.
This involved a panel of two registrars reviewing an article and critically evaluating its
pearls and pitfalls. This provides for an in-depth review if research methods, updates
clinical practice with latest guidelines and an avenue for formulating new research

questions. The meeting was also coupled to departmental research presentations for
Master of Medicine General Surgery students. The day proceeded to General surgery
operating day. The general surgery case list included Laparoscopic hernia repairs and
Thyroidectomy with Intraoperative nerve monitoring and breast cancer surgery.
The emergency theatre was an opportunity to enhance my laparoscopic skills as I was
able to participate in both open and laparoscopic emergency surgeries.

The Hepatopancreatobiliary unit conducted surgeries on Wednesdays. This included
investigations such as Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) and
interventions such as stenting of the common bile duct. In total I participated in 6
laparoscopic cholecystectomies.

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The attachment also afforded me an opportunity to perform endoscopic procedures
including colonoscopy and biopsy. This was performed on Thursdays on out patient
basis.

There operative exposure was capped with high level surgery of which I was an assistant.
This included Laparoscopic Ultralow Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) for rectal cancer under
supervision Prof Zaidi Zakaria and Prof Andee.

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3. Research Collaboration
The academic exchange at USM under Prof Andee has enabled me to establish a vibrant reseach
collaboration with different specialists in their field. Currenlty, I am an investigator in a research
entitled ‘OUTCOMMES OF LAPAROSCOPIC COLORECTAL RESECTION AT
UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA HOSPITAL IN ELDERLY PATIENTS’. There is also a
planned case presentation on the Zambia Association of General Surgeons (ZAGS) forum on
Laparoscopic ultra-low total meso-rectal excision. I will present the case to surgical residents and
faculty in Zambia while Prof Andee and surgical registrars will join via zoom video link. In
addition to this, research collaboration with Prof Andee has been established with one surgical
registrar under MMED at UNZA who wishes to embark on a research in Colon cancer screening
at UTH Lusaka. Indeed, the USM does offer statistical consultation on data analysis and research
methods. There is also on-going collaboration with UNZA MMED students who are doing data
analyses for their research projects.

4. Conclusion
The colorectal fellowship at USM Department of Surgery was a resounding success as it I
acquired hands on skills in minimally invasive surgical skills which have been proven time and
again to have better patient outcomes than open surgery. The spectrum of specialties I was
allowed to rotate in was also diverse and this was a bonus for me. Novel procedures were learnt
which embrace the latest surgical technologies and also the better patient outcomes.
Research collaborations which are current and active have been established and this provides a
platform to spur on more collaboration in future.
5. Recommendation
‘An education in medicine involves both learning and learning how; the student cannot
effectively know, unless he knows how’-(Flexnor,1910).The fast changing technological
advancements in surgery demand that a modern surgeon is acquainted with skills and knowledge
to use this technology. The implications on surgical training in this regard cannot be
overemphasized. There is a need to invest in laparoscopic equipment and training personnel in
laparoscopic surgery.
Secondly, it would be ideal to strengthen inter University collaboration between UNZA-SOM
and USM Health campus to allow MMED Student exchange. While the USM MMED registrars
have over 70% exposure to laparoscopic surgery they have less exposure to open surgery. It is an
opportunity that they could benefit from open surgery which UNZA SOM MMED Surgery is
proficient at if an exchange programme was established. And this would allow exchange students
to train fellow registrars in laparoscopy during their visits here.
Lastly, there is a need to strengthen subspecialized training. The era of a general surgeon as we
know it is slowly waning. There is need to have established University training programs in
Colorectal, Hepatopancreaticobiliary, Upper GI, Vascular and Cardiothoracic surgery at the
highest learning institution in Zambia- UNZA. This is the only way to better serve our patients.