Emergency Medicine
In October 2010, with the first formal teaching trip to Black Lion Hospital in Ethiopia, the Toronto-Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Emergency Medicine (TAAAC-EM) was launched. Its vision is to create an enduring academic and educational collaboration to train Ethiopian emergency specialists to provide services, teaching, and leadership into the new specialty.
TAAAC-EM has been co-developed by Addis Ababa University (AAU) and University of Toronto (UofT) faculty volunteers from the Divisions of Emergency Medicine in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Family and Community Medicine. TAAAC-EM provides one-month blocks of teaching three times a year to the EM residency program at the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) by two volunteer UofT faculty and a postgraduate resident. Since the inception of TAAAC-EM over 30 UofT faculty have taught on site accompanied by a UofT senior resident. Teaching trips cover a longitudinal, three-year curriculum through didactic teaching sessions, practical seminars, and bedside clinical supervision. TAAAC-EM also provides academic support from Toronto that includes program resources, mentorship, operational research and support, telesimulations, and input into curriculum development.
The first cohort of AAU EM residents graduated in 2013. There have been a total of 69 graduated emergency physicians to date, including 8 graduates from AAU in early 2021. Fifty-eight EM residents are currently in training at AAU. Graduates of the program are now the leaders and visionaries of emergency medicine in Ethiopia, taking on leadership positions to contribute to emergency medicine development across the country. Amongst many achievements, graduates have been involved in the establishment of emergency medicine departments at 13 public hospitals across Ethiopia, have taken on leadership positions within their hospitals and at the Ministry of Health, and have established an additional four postgraduate residency programs in emergency medicine.
As the TAAAC-EM partnership grows, TAAAC-EM faculty at UofT and AAU work together to advance AAU as a leader in emergency medicine in East Africa. Through collaborative continuing professional development EM physician in Ethiopia have pursued leadership training, advanced research capacity, advocacy, and policy development expertise. Most recently, TAAAC-EM has launched a point of care ultrasound master instructor program co-led by AAU graduates.
The opportunity to engage with TAAAC-EM is available to all UofT EM faculty and senior residents. Please contact us for more information on how to participate in Toronto or volunteer for a teaching trip.
Program Contact Information
Hannah Girdler, Program Manager