DIREF manages or supports programs in research and education as follows:
A Detroit Fellowship, established in association with the Indian Association of Surgical Oncology, is an immersive observational experience within a major American academic medical environment.
Fellows:
- Observe operations, outpatient clinics, inpatient rounds, and multidisciplinary conferences
- Become integrated into surgical teams and resident educational activities
- Generally remain within their own specialty interests (e.g., urology, breast surgery, general surgical oncology, etc.)
- May request exposure to specific clinical areas of interest
The experience is intentionally flexible and individualized rather than rigidly scripted. Fellows are typically incorporated into existing clinical teams and educational activities, allowing substantial interaction with faculty, residents, and trainees.
In addition to clinical exposure, fellows gain experience with:
- American academic medical culture
- Multidisciplinary cancer care
- Advanced surgical technologies
- Electronic medical record systems
- U.S. hospital operations and workflows
DIREF also supports resident rotations at the Instituto do Câncer do Ceará (ICC) in Fortaleza, Brazil, a 4-6 week program offered to a small number of surgical residents annually. In addition to exposure to surgical issues faced by a developing country, ICC gives them the opportunity to participate in thyroid cancer procedures, a type of cancer common there but relatively rare in Detroit.
Participation in international conferences including the annual Indian Association of Oncological Surgery Conference and an annual conference on surgical oncology that rotates between three hospitals in Brazil. (Here is the 2019 conference in Recife.)
To promote and foster international research into surgical oncology, DIREF organizes and participates in international surgical oncology research conferences; and it initiates, promotes, and supports specific research initiatives of the Surgical Innovations Program at the Michael & Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery at Wayne State University with respect to medical device development, personalized cancer therapies, and surgical simulation.