Celebrating a Milestone in Neurosurgical Training: MUST Launches the Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery
We are excited to share remarkable news from our partners at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). On July 24, 2025, leaders in medical education, neurosurgery, and health policy gathered in Mbarara to celebrate the official.
This achievement represents years of shared vision, collaboration, and dedication to addressing the urgent need for neurosurgical expertise in Uganda. We are proud to have worked alongside champions such as Prof. David Kitya and Dr. Deus Twesigye, as well as the committed teams at MUST and MRRH, in partnership with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) and other stakeholders, to help make this vision a reality.
The new MMed Neurosurgery program will welcome its first candidates in fall 2025. Built on a competency based curriculum, it will combine hands-on surgical training with rotations at satellite centers across Uganda to ensure that future neurosurgeons gain a broad range of skills and experiences. This program is designed not only to build technical expertise but also to foster leadership, responsibility, and emotional maturity in its trainees.
MUST is also making significant investments to support training and patient care. Two new theatres in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are being equipped through World Bank support, advanced anesthesia machines are on the way, and a trauma call and ambulance dispatch center will launch in August. Nurses and allied health professionals are central to this initiative, ensuring that care remains truly multidisciplinary.
We are inspired by the leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika, who described this as a moment when MUST “stands out as a star” in the field. For us at DGNN, this is more than the start of a program; it is the continuation of a shared journey to strengthen neurosurgical services in Uganda and create a model for training that can be replicated across Sub-Saharan Africa.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Kitya, Dr. Twesigye, and the entire MUST and MRRH community. Together, we are building the capacity for high quality neurosurgical care that will transform lives for generations to come.
Photo Credit : MUST News Article by Angella Nakato Muyingo