Yonsei Institute
for Global Health

1) Please introduce yourself.

My name is George Isaya Okoth Orerah and I am 40 years old. I am married and a proud father of two children, a son and a daughter. I am a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), which reflects my deep commitment to surgical excellence. I am also a fellow of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) and part of it’s faculty in the General Surgery Residency program in Machakos Kenya. My professional journey is driven by a passion for advancing surgical standards and mentoring the next generation of surgeons.

2) Where is your working place back in your country and what is your specialty?

In my home country Kenya,I work as a General Surgeon at the Machakos County Referral Hospital, where I have dedicated over half a decade to clinical practice and teaching.

My surgical expertise primarily focuses on endocrine surgeries (notably breast surgery), abdominal procedures and trauma management.

Beyond my clinical responsibilities, I am deeply committed to surgical education and mentorship, striving to bridge the gap between complex medical theory and practical, life-saving interventions. My journey in medicine has been driven by a relentless desire to improve patient outcomes in resource-limited settings,and to advocate for equitable healthcare access.

3) How did you get to know Severance? Why did you choose Severance as your training hospital?  

After 5 years of immersion in the local medical landscape, I knew it was time time to advance my knowledge and skill in one of the sub-speciality of General Surgery. My decision of which subspeciality to pick, had already been biased from the numerous numbers of breast surgery cases that I was already doing at the local hospital level. I realized that to truly elevate the standard of care for my patients, I needed the rigorous,world-class training that only Severance Hospital could provide.Severance Hospital’s reputation for pioneering surgical techniques and its commitment to patient-centered innovation are unparalleled.

My introduction to Severance Hospital came through internet searches of centers of excellence in breast oncology. The more I delved into the institution’s archives and clinical reports,the more I became convinced that this was the crucible where my professional aspirations would be forged. Through a friend and colleague, I also got to learn of the Avison International Fellowship (AIF) program, which further solidified my resolve. I did not hesitate to apply.

4) How long is your training period in Korea?

The fellowship program spans one year,a duration meticulously structured to ensure comprehensive exposure to both advanced surgical methodologies and multidisciplinary clinical research.

5) Which area did you focus on during your fellowship at Severance?

My primary focus has been on Breast Surgery: the integration of oncoplastic breast surgery, minimally invasive techniques notably robotic-assisted breast surgery.

6) What is the most impressive feature of Severance Hospital?

The most impressive feature of Severance Hospital is its human resource component, where the profound synergy between seasoned expertise and relentless innovation breathes life into patient care.This unique environment fosters a culture of collaborative excellence,where every specialist, from surgeons to anaesthesiologists, oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, trainee fellows, residents, interns, students, nurses, researchers and others,work in seamless harmony to transcend traditional clinical boundaries. Everyone consults and the decision taken is a whole team’s decision and not merely an individual doctor’s decision. Furthermore, the hospital’s commitment to patient-centered 

values, ensures that advanced medical technology never overshadows the compassionate touch, but rather serves as a catalyst for healing. Technology at the Severance Hospital has been embraced fully with now over 50,000 robotic surgeries having been successfully performed, marking a milestone in precision and becoming the first in the world to achieve such a monumental feat in robotic-assisted surgeries.

7) What are the specific contents of your fellowship program at Severance?

The fellowship program at the Severance Hospital is very deliberate especially to International Fellows. Cognisant of the fact that there may be need for integration into the local language, culture and hospital ethos, the first month is dedicated to the Severance International Fellowship Prime Course (SIF-PC). This intensive orientation includes basic korean language training, cultural immersion including a tour of Seoul’s historical, cultural and modern landmarks. It also includes medical professionalism and ethics, clinical research, statistics and methology sessions.

Following this foundational base, the program ushers one into their respective departments, where the true rigor of clinical practice begins. Here,fellows are fully integrated into the surgical teams, with the focus on observing all that transpires within the operating theater, the wards and the outpatient clinics. This takes two months in total.

Upon completion of this observership period, the fellows transition into a phase of hands-on clinical engagement program, which is carefully supervised by the esteemed faculty mentors. This is the meat of the fellowship, where theoretical knowledge converges with practical application. Participants are tasked with managing complex cases, refining their surgical techniques.and navigating the nuanced decision-making processes that define high-level medical care with evidence based research being at the centre of it. I am particularly grateful that I have come to learn robotic and endoscopic breast surgery from very talented mentors who have pushed me to transcend my previous limitations.

8) If you were to get the chance to come back, which field of clinical study would you like to focus on?

Having done Robotic and endoscopic breast surgery, and witnessing the transformative potential of minimally invasive interventions, I would choose to delve deeper into this realm. I would consider robotic thyroid surgery as my next frontier, and seek to bridge the gap and become an Endocrine surgeon who seamlessly integrates these advanced techniques into routine practice.The precision afforded by robotic platforms not only enhances oncological outcomes but also significantly improves patient recovery and cosmetic outcomes, embodying the essence of "precision medicine" that transcends mere technical execution.

9) Who are you most thankful for at Severance(who helped you the most) & why?

First and foremost, I am grateful to the Almighty God for availing this momentous opportunity in my life to have come to Severance hospital for this Fellowship training.

Then the Avison International Fellowship through the Medical Mission Center for the sponsorship to have made this dream come true. At the pinnacle of this, I would like to appreciate Professor Chinyong Pak and Professor Paul Choi who believed in my potential and committed to availing this sponsorship to me. They have become friends and this has even transcended to our families.

In the department of Breast Surgery, Professor Hyung Seok Park has played a pivotal role in my fellowship program. He has committedly seen me through the basics of minimally-invasive breast surgery and held my hand all the way to its advanced levels. This level of confidence is unparalleled and I can only imagine what lies ahead. Indeed, the old adage is still true, “If I have seen far, it is by standing on the shoulders of others”. 

My fellow colleagues of SIF-PC course, AIF and Talmidine church and fellows in the department of breast surgery have also made the transition and the journey in Korea a memorable one for which I will forever be grateful.

10) What was your first impression of Korea?

I had mixed feeling about coming for a fellowship training in Korea - both excitement and indifference. Excitement because of the level of training that I was looking at was definitely one of the world’s best with all the expertise and the equipment that the best would go through. This I can confidently say that I have witnessed and my expectations have been exceeded. From the SIF-PC course to the observership, the dry lab sessions, the wet lab sessions and real hands on experience especially in robotics has been mind-blowing.

The indifference was the fear of the unknown; the cultural differences that were glaring, the food, the language, the climatic differences were all new to me. I must say that these fears were slowly alleviated by the community that surrounded me and helped me settle in well and in a smooth manner.

11) What is the best memory so far during your stay here?

It would be unfair to single out one memory over the many that have stood out and I will forever cherish in my heart. During my stay so far, my family visited me and together we toured several places in Korea including Busan, Jeju island and of course Seoul where I am based. This was all but blissful. From the cultural villages, to the high rise Seoul Sky tower, relaxing parks and informative museums, waterfalls and mountain hikes, the sea-side breeze of Busan and Jeju island, the wonderous bridges and road and rail tunnels that make travels quite smooth and fast to the indoor pools of Jeju’s pension houses. This alongside other ventures in and around Seoul have made my training and fellowship really memorable.