Senior medical students from the University of Fiji are gaining rare hands-on exposure to complex heart surgeries at PSH Hospital under the guidance of renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Dr Sanjeev Khulbey.
Year 4 and Year 5 MBBS students are taking part in a two-week specialised cardiac surgery workshop where they are observing advanced procedures inside the operating theatre.
The University says the programme bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world medical practice, boosting clinical skills, confidence, and competence.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem says the University is committed to quality medical education and early clinical exposure.
She acknowledges PSH CEO Parvish Kumar for opening access to live surgeries and enabling top surgeons to guide the students.
Professor Shameem says when Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and Health Sciences was first established, they could not have imagined such high-level training would one day be available to their students.
She adds that they are profoundly grateful to the medical experts at PSH for making this possible.
Dean of the Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr Abhijit Gogoi says real hospital exposure is vital for students' professional development.
Dr Khulbey says observing live surgeries helps students connect theory to practice, while learning anatomy, discipline, and critical decision-making in real time.
Year 5 student Aman Puran describes the experience as eye-opening and transformative.
Before this programme, they had very limited clinical exposure, Puran says and observing complex heart surgeries, including a cardiac bypass, made everything they studied feel real.
He adds that the experience has motivated him to aim for the precision and excellence required in surgery.
The University of Fiji says it will continue prioritising hands-on clinical experiences to produce skilled, confident, and compassionate doctors ready to serve their communities.
