In 2026, as WFSA celebrates 30 years of its fellowship programme, stories from early fellows highlight how international training opportunities helped shape anaesthesia practice in countries where resources and training were once extremely limited.
Dr Bayalagmaa Khuvtsagaan is one such fellow. An anaesthesiologist and intensivist from Mongolia, she currently works as part of the organ transplantation team at the First Central Hospital of Mongolia. Over the course of her career, she has also served as Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology for a decade and has been an executive member of the Mongolian Society of Anaesthesiologists since 2007.
Today, her hospital performs around 13,000 anaesthesia cases and surgical procedures each year, including approximately 120 to 130 successful living donor liver and kidney transplant surgeries. But when Dr Bayalagmaa first began her career in the early 2000s, the reality of anaesthesia practice in Mongolia looked very different.
Practising Anaesthesia in a Resource-Limited System
Hospital conditions at the time were extremely challenging. Anaesthesia machines were outdated, and in some hospitals only one or two old models were available. Even basic supplies were limited. Disposable syringes had just begun to be introduced, while epidural and spinal needles were often sterilised and reused. Sterile and examination gloves were also in short supply.
Training opportunities were equally limited. Specialist training programmes for anaesthesiologists lasted only three to eight months, leaving many doctors underprepared for complex cases. Access to textbooks, journals, and educational resources was scarce, making it difficult for clinicians to expand their knowledge.
These challenges became particularly clear to Dr Bayalagmaa once she began working independently.
“During on-call duties I often encountered critically ill patients,” she recalls. “Those experiences made me realise how much more knowledge and practical skill I needed.”
Determined to improve her training, she began searching for opportunities abroad.
A Fellowship Opportunity in Thailand
At the time, Dr Bayalagmaa was not familiar with the WFSA fellowship programme itself. What she did know was the reputation of the Bangkok Anaesthesia Regional Training Centre (BARTC) in Thailand, which had developed a strong reputation for clinical training in anaesthesia.
She decided to apply.
In 2003, she travelled to Thailand to undertake a one-year fellowship in anaesthesiology. For Dr Bayalagmaa, the experience was transformative.
What left the strongest impression was not only the clinical exposure but also the culture of teaching she encountered.
“I was deeply impressed by how senior doctors and instructors supervised and taught residents in daily clinical practice,” she explains. “Their teaching was structured, supportive, and very hands-on.”
Access to learning resources was another revelation. At the training centre, the internet, textbooks, and scientific journals were readily available, allowing trainees to read, research, and study independently in ways that had not been possible back home.
Lessons That Shaped a Career
The fellowship experience influenced Dr Bayalagmaa’s approach to medicine long after she returned to Mongolia.
One of the most important lessons she carried home was how to teach and mentor young doctors effectively. The structured training model she observed during the fellowship shaped her own approach to education, encouraging her to prepare well-organised lectures, continually update her professional knowledge, and emphasise strict infection prevention and control in clinical practice.
These ideas soon translated into broader changes.
After returning home, she and her colleagues helped improve the anaesthesia residency programme, extending it into a structured two-year training programme. Beginning in 2006, doctors who had trained in Thailand also began offering free educational courses for resident doctors, an initiative that continues today.
Through collaboration with the Mongolian Society of Anaesthesiologists, these doctors contributed to improving training standards across the country. Over time, these efforts have helped reduce anaesthesia-related complications and strengthen clinical practice nationwide.
Passing Knowledge to the Next Generation
More than two decades later, the impact of those early training opportunities continues to shape anaesthesia in Mongolia.
Many Mongolian doctors have since received training in Thailand, and importantly, they have all returned home to practise within their specialty. Today they play an active role in teaching, mentoring, and developing the next generation of anaesthesiologists.
Dr Bayalagmaa believes this continuous exchange of knowledge has played an important role in the progress of anaesthesia in the country.
“I strongly believe that the transfer of knowledge and skills through training opportunities like this has helped drive the development of anaesthesia practice in Mongolia,” she says.
Reflecting on 30 Years of WFSA Fellowships
As WFSA marks three decades of fellowships in 2026, Dr Bayalagmaa sees the programme as a powerful catalyst for change in countries where training opportunities remain limited.
Doctors in developing countries often face significant challenges, including short specialist training programmes, limited clinical exposure, and resource constraints. Fellowships offer a rare chance to experience well-developed healthcare systems and receive comprehensive clinical and theoretical training.
“This type of training provides a strong foundation for doctors to develop anaesthesia services in their home countries and practise with confidence,” she explains.
Even today, she says, there remains strong interest among young doctors in Mongolia to pursue similar opportunities.
Advice for the Next Generation
For Dr Bayalagmaa personally, the fellowship represented more than professional training. It was also her first opportunity to travel abroad for education and to build international professional connections.
Meeting her Thai mentors and learning from them remains one of the most meaningful experiences of her career.
Her message to young anaesthesiologists considering a fellowship is simple.
“For doctors from developing countries, the opportunities provided by the WFSA fellowship are truly invaluable,” she says. “If you make full use of this opportunity, it can become a strong foundation and a turning point for a successful professional career.”
Stories like Dr Bayalagmaa’s show how one fellowship can go a long way. It builds skills, confidence, and knowledge that are shared with others, helping improve care for many patients over time.
Help more anaesthesiologists gain the training and experience they need through WFSA Fellowships.
