In conversation with Dr David Wambi

Faye Brown: Professor Jimmy James himself was often inspired by those he worked with and chance moments that happened throughout his life. Have there been any pivotal people or moments in your life that have encouraged you in your career in plastic surgery?

David Wambi: My biggest inspiration to become a surgeon was the healthcare structure itself. More than five billion people on the planet do not have access to safe surgery and this is a particular concern in Uganda, with its population of
47 million people, many of whom are young and looking to build a better future. Although many improvements have been made in different specialties and for targeted concerns, patients with several abnormalities requiring plastic surgery are yet to be systematically treated by the healthcare systems in Uganda. Aside from ‘parachute surgery’ it is very rare to hear these patients getting access to timely surgical care. As one of the locally trained Ugandan surgeons, I felt this was a disparity that needed to be addressed.

Also, during my internship, I attended my first cleft lip and palate camp by Smile Train, headed locally by Dr Rose Alenyo, a Consultant Plastic Surgeon. This showed me the importance of plastic surgery in improving the quality of life of patients, rather than the full focus of healthcare being just patient survival. This exposure, together with further professional interaction and observerships with Dr Alenyo, paved the way for me into the COSECSA training as there were not (and still are not) any local training programmes in plastic surgery.

The concern you have expressed regarding access to healthcare in your region must, at times, feel like a huge responsibility. What continues to motivate or inspire you during these times?

Simply, the unmet need for many of our patients in Uganda to access plastic surgery services pushes me to work hard with my colleagues. The dream of being part of solving the problem and closing the gap greatly motivates me to work and read even harder, despite the responsibility.

Professor Jimmy James had an illustrious career and hoped that COSECSA would enable others in the plastic surgery specialty to do the same. What are your career aspirations for the future? What impact do you hope to make?

Plastic surgery is a vast field with many great opportunities for career development. Microsurgery services are in great need in Uganda; fewer than three microsurgeons are present in our country and all work in the private sector, not all of them actively tackling free flap reconstruction. This leaves the service only accessible to a certain group of individuals rather than the public at large. I was fortunate to be employed at Kiruddu National Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, a public facility where I began my COSECSA plastic surgery training. Of course, full-time training required me to delegate and organise my other commitments efficiently. As I conclude my training this year, I hope to leverage my position and network to further expand plastic surgery access in the country as well as, if possible, further my training in microsurgery to be able to introduce microsurgery services in the public sector. In return, I hope to take part in building a sustainable, consistent microsurgery network in Uganda.

Lastly, and on behalf of the College, congratulations on your achievement of being awarded the Professor Jimmy James Prize. How do you think this achievement may affect your career and next steps?

Winning the Professor Jimmy James Prize has been a great milestone, reflecting the effort and hard work I have invested in my learning to excel in plastic surgery training and join the local team as a professional to improve service delivery in Uganda. Also, as a COSECSA-trained Plastic Surgeon, I have met colleagues throughout the region who share this passion for plastic surgery. I look forward to further networking with colleagues from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, becoming a stronger researcher, conducting outreach in this field and actively participating in training to close the gap in public access to plastic surgery in Uganda.

In collaboration with COSECSA and made possible by the generous support of Mrs Judith James, in memory of her late husband, Professor Jimmy James.

For more information on establishing memorial funding opportunities, please email the RCSEd Development Office at development@rcsed.ac.uk.

About Professor Jimmy James

The Professor Jimmy James Prize in Plastic Surgery is a recognition opportunity awarded annually to the highest-scoring candidate of the COSECSA Fellowship Examination in Plastic Surgery. The recognition opportunity was established in 2022 by Judith James, the wife of the late Professor Jimmy James, to commemorate her husband.

Professor James was a Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, who spent much of his career in Africa, working at ALERT (All Africa Leprosy Rehabilitation Training), AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation) and the Flying Doctors service, the last of which enabled him to work in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Nairobi completing reconstructive surgeries.

As the Director of the Burns Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, Professor James contributed significantly to the training of surgeons. Throughout the 1990s, he became pivotal in the establishment of COSECSA and, by the turn of the millennium, he was Secretary General of the College. COSECSA is now the largest surgical college in Africa, operating in more than 15 countries. Some 90% of the graduates remain practising in their countries and communities, thereby fulfilling Professor James’ original vision and honouring him in doing so.

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