Who is the Department of Surgery?

The vocation of the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Surgery is to train excellent medical practitioners and general surgeons, to care for our patients with surgical diseases in accordance with the latest and best scientific knowledge and technical skills available and to foster research in the surgical area.

With a reputation of providing excellent training programmes and with dedicated academic personnel,

• trainees not only receive the latest evidence-based knowledge, but will also learn to integrate and apply the knowledge to the optimal benefit of their patients. 
• trainees will be trained to master the best surgical techniques and technology in the field of surgery, and will be equipped to perform safe and skillful operations.
• trainees will be taught to develop a critical and inquiring mind tempered by maturity, integrity and empathy as a loyal graduate of this department and institution. 

Research

The department is involved in academic as well as contract research. Academic research is mainly clinically orientated. During the past 10 years a number of scientific papers have been published in peer reviewed journals. Consultants and post-graduate students take part in the research programme. Contract research focuses mainly on drug trails e.g. anticoagulants and antibiotics.

Objectives

The Department of Surgery endorses the general objectives of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the University of the Free State and offers professional training to both undergraduate and post-graduate students in Medicine and auxiliary medical fields with emphasis on;

• excellent and relevant training,
• the acquisition of problem-solving skills,
• essential surgical skills and
• continued education of medical doctors and surgeons.

Basic and applied research in the biomedical field with emphasis on;

• broadening of knowledge and improvement of patient care; and
• the cultivation of a disposition which will establish an inquiring mind.

Medical services to the community and professional counseling of responsible authorities with emphasis on;

• excellent health services at primary, secondary and tertiary level; and
• the establishment of specialized units offering services which belong only to an academic hospital.

It is also the department’s objective to establish a balance between education, research and service; to offer staff members the opportunity to develop professionally in the above activities and in doing so, to serve as a model of academic surgery, not only regionally but also nationally.