From Tuesday, March 11th to Friday, March 15th, 2024, the University Consortium for Advanced Medical Studies (Consortium Universitaire pour le Troisième Cycle en Médecine –CUTCM) held the third session of doctoral days at HEAL Africa Hospital in Goma. These days were marked by presentations and discussions aimed at guiding the research work of candidates specializing in higher education in human medicine, presenting new research topics, and addressing the progress of ongoing researches.

The presentations covered a wide range of topics, from ethics and deontology in scientific research to the issue of plagiarism in the face of the rise of artificial intelligence, as well as methods, techniques, and data collection instruments, doctoral training, and much more.

Optimizing University Education in DRC

Made up of the University of Goma (UNIGOM –Université de Goma), the Official University of Bukavu (UOB –Université Officielle de Bukavu), and the Catholic University of Graben (UCG –Université Catholique du Graben) in Butembo, the consortium is committed to optimizing university education in DRC. Its mission includes on-site doctoral training, updating the scientific knowledge of teachers, training high-level specialists in essential areas for the development of the DRC, and providing ongoing training for professors in their respective disciplines.

The consortium’s objectives aim to increase scientific potential and develop a scientific environment at the Faculty of Medicine, increase the number of professors meeting national needs, and formulate priority scientific guidelines related to the development of the DRC. The CUTCM trains candidates specializing in higher education in medicine in various fields such as surgery and its specialties, internal medicine and its specialties, gynecology-obstetrics, pediatrics, family medicine, biomedical sciences, and public health.
With its tertiary-level technical platform, HEAL Africa Hospital provides a suitable research environment for the Goma pool of the UNIGOM-UOB-UCG Consortium. Since its establishment in 2021, CUTCM has already produced 12 university professors, 8 in Goma, 1 in Butembo, and 3 in Bukavu, thus contributing to medical excellence in DRC.