An international exchange observership at Yale University: A Ugandan physician experience

Neurologic diseases are the leading cause group of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and the second leading cause group of death, with most DALYs and deaths occurring in low-income countries.1 The WHO has documented a deficiency of neurologists in low-income countries (0.03–0.13 per 100,000 population), which contrasts with upper-middle income and high-income countries (1.09–4.5 per 100,000 population).2 Approximately 26 million people live in sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations where there are no neurologists.3 Furthermore, there are few opportunities to receive clinical training in neurology within Africa, with fewer than 10 countries with neurology training programs.4 The scarcity of neurologists not only leads to poor patient outcomes but also discourages the young generation of doctors in countries such as Uganda from a career in neurology.5