SIU Scholarship: Dr. Abdulwahab-Ahmed Abdullahi

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The Société Internationale d'Urologie offers Training Scholarships for young doctors with basic surgical or urological qualifications. The SIU Scholarships involve training in a recognized Urological center of excellence located in the candidate's geographical region. These SIU-accredited centers provide an excellent environment for learning and, in many instances, hands-on experience, so that candidates may acquire knowledge and skills that they will be able to transfer to their own setting of practice. In this series of short communications, SIU Scholars write about the impact that these training opportunities facilitated by the SIU had on their quality of care and career development. Information about applying for an SIU Scholarship is available at http://www.siu-urology.org/.

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• Abdulwahab-Ahmed Abdullahi, SIU Scholar

I was fortunate to be one of the beneficiaries of the SIU-sponsored scholarship training at the Urology Department of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, where Professor Ismail Khalaf was my supervisor.

I arrived in Cairo on October 11, 2008, and found the people to be extremely caring and hospitable. I made many friends among them and also learnt to speak the Arabic language. Professor Ismail Khalaf made me feel at home throughout my stay and the same can be said of all the staff members in the Urology Department at Al-Azhar University, Arab Contractors, and Noziah Hospitals.

While in Cairo, I saw many cases of urology including, but not limited to, the following:

The training lasted 6 months and the number of cases I saw during the program are as follows: female urology (30), male infertility (40), pediatric urology (60), reconstructive urology (60), stone disease (80), uro-oncology (25), urodynamic study (20), dialysis and renal transplantation (40), ultrasonography (50), and laser surgery (2).

In conclusion, the scholarship training program of the SIU is laudable and achieves its aims and objectives, allowing young urologists from limited-resource settings the opportunity to observe and participate in advanced urologic procedures in ideal settings. I have benefited from this program and I hope that many more urologists in a situation similar to mine will also be fortunate enough to reap this benefit. Increasing the number of scholarships per year will be a step in the right direction to providing this benefit to many more trainees.

I have learnt many techniques in urology during my stay in Cairo, and many of these require instruments that are, unfortunately, not available in my center. It is obvious that if my community is to benefit from my SIU scholarship training, these instruments should also be available in my center.

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Dr. Abdulwahab-Ahmed Abdullahi was born in October 1970 in Ilorin, Nigeria. He attended the Obangede School of Nursing and obtained a General Nursing Certificate in 1991. From 1993 to 2001, he attended the College of Health Sciences of Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (M.B., B.S.). During his university career, he was actively involved in the administration of the Medical Students' Association. On graduating, he received the best student award in pediatrics. He completed his internship at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital and worked as a medical officer in various hospitals until he joined the postgraduate residency training program in surgery at Jos University Teaching Hospital in June 2004. His special interests include endourology and reconstructive urology. He is married and has 3 children.