What We Do
The Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) is a strategic response to the need for surgeons, anesthesiologists, and obstetrician/gynecologists in Africa. PAACS trains African physicians as surgeons and related specialists to care for the poor and the sick. PAACS also disciples these trainees to share the love of Christ with their patients to bring hope to those who are suffering.
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I want to help heal my people, not just physically but by sharing the love of Christ with every patient. Through PAACS, I’m learning to serve with both skill and compassion, just as Jesus did.

Our Impact This Year
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Countries with Programs
12
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PAACS Training Programs
28
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Residents in Training
189
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PAACS Graduates
187
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Countries with Graduates
25
News and Notes
PAACS Founder Dr. David Thompson shares the story of a widow from Congo whose simple faith in Jesus brought miraculous healing to her son. More than a testimony of medicine, it is a reminder that PAACS trains surgeons not only in skill, but also in discipleship, hope, and the power of Christ.
In this powerful reflection, Dr. Christopher Moir recalls a bruising childhood football encounter with a professional athlete and draws a striking parallel to the realities of surgery. Just as no defensive line can always hold, surgeons inevitably face moments of failure—publicly examined in Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) rounds. With honesty and humility, Dr. Moir explores how PAACS approaches these moments not just as professional accountability, but as discipleship: training surgeons to face loss with courage, hope, and faith. Rooted in Scripture, the article reminds us that through failure we find wholeness, through pain we learn compassion, and through Christ we discover the ultimate victory.
In this powerful reflection, Dr. Christopher Moir explores the prophet Jonah’s anger at God’s mercy—and the striking parallels between Jonah’s misplaced trust in his own training and the challenges Christian surgeons face today. Drawing insight from Jonah’s story, Dr. Moir reminds us that while skill and knowledge are vital, they must flow from a heart surrendered to God’s wisdom and grace. With humility and humor, he encourages us to choose trust over pride, transformation over performance, and divine partnership over self-reliance.
PAACS Mission Hospital Partner Sites
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Kibuye