Debate in General Surgery - An Accomplishment - A Legacy

I started debate as a teaching-learning activity for surgeons in the Philippines as early as 1994.

Most likely, I was the first one in the country to use this kind of teaching-learning activity among general surgeon trainees.

I thought of using debate as a teaching-learning activity for at least 2 reasons:

    1. Medicine or surgery is full of controversies. The surgical residents should know how to resolve the controversies.

    2. The surgical residents should know how to defend whatever stand they make. They should be able to communicate well.

I have used debate as a teaching-learning activity among general surgical residents in the Departments of Surgery of the Philippine General Hospital, Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, Zamboanga City Medical Center, and Tondo Medical Center. I had surgical residents from different hospitals debate with each other in a teleconference circa 1994 (vividly remember – surgical residents from Zamboanga City Medical Center vs those from PGH; those from Tondo Medical Center vs those from ZCMC).

Debates in General Surgery is a legacy that I leave and will leave behind as a teaching-learning activity for surgeons.

In 1994 - teledebate between surgical residents of ZCMC and PGH GSI.

In 2017