SELF Spotlight: Fabrice Sodogas
This profile is the first in a series spotlighting members of the SELF Community.
With SELF continuing to gain traction, the community’s leadership is excited to welcome Dr. Fabrice Sodogas as its new Clinical Program Manager. A former medical officer in the US Peace Corps, Fabrice (as he likes to be known) will build on his previous work for SELF as a translator and interpreter.
Dr. Fabrice Sodogas
Fabrice’s Journey from Medical Officer to Translator to Facilitator
Fabrice did his medical training at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, graduating in 2017. During his final year, he worked full time implementing the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist with Mercy Ships, an NGO that sends hospital ships staffed with volunteer professionals to communities in sub-Saharan Africa to provide surgical care and education.
Following completion of his training, Fabrice returned home to Togo, where he worked for two and a half years at one of the nation’s largest private clinics. Next, he spent almost seven years as a medical officer in the US Peace Corps, overseeing the health care of American volunteers stationed in rural communities throughout Togo. Joining the Peace Corps was a way to increase his impact, he says:
“As a clinician, I could only see so many patients each day. In the Peace Corps, I was able to help more people, albeit indirectly: by keeping volunteers safe and healthy throughout their service, I empowered them to help thousands of Togolese people across the country.”
Fluent in both English and French, Fabrice initially became involved with SELF as a translator and interpreter at the 2023 Annual Conference of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) in Lomé, Togo.
“SELF appealed to me for two reasons: first, it felt like a natural fit given my skills and training; second, I was intrigued. By the end of the conference, I had fallen in love with the concept, which really resonated with me.”
Two years later, in 2025, he provided support at WACS workshops in Bamako, Mali and Abuja, Nigeria. When visa issues prevented Catherine Mohr, President of the Intuitive Foundation, from attending, Fabrice ended up taking on more responsibility than expected. “I was supposed to be just translating,” he says, “but I ended up facilitating the workshop alongside Catherine, who attended virtually.”
Having impressed the team with his knowledge, intuition, and composure, Fabrice joined SELF in a part-time capacity last summer, before transitioning more recently into a full-time role. “It felt like a natural progression,” he says. “I joined the Peace Corps to increase my impact; and now I am joining SELF for the same reason.”
Catherine sees enormous potential in Fabrice:
“I’ve been incredibly impressed with him ever since I first met him. He is extremely knowledgeable and applies that knowledge well, but he also has that deep, unflappable calm of a great clinician.”
A Bridge Between Practitioners and SELF
As Clinical Program Manager, Fabrice will support SELF in a wide variety of ways. His work falls into three main categories.
First, harnessing both his clinical skills and his robust understanding of SELF, he will support workshops and training sessions focused on module development, testing, and implementation. This support will enable module developers—many of whom balance demanding roles as surgeons, professors, and department chiefs—to concentrate on the more technical aspects of development. According to Fabrice:
“By devising draft materials, reviewing training modules, and making recommendations on knowledge materials and simulators, I can save module developers significant time—meaning they can direct their attention and expertise to the areas where it matters most.”
Second, Fabrice will strengthen connections within the SELF Community of Practice—facilitating communication and interaction among developers, mentors, and other contributors, as well as actively participating in community discussions.
His professional background—in particular his time in the Peace Corps working with diverse communities across Togo—makes him well-suited to this work. Not only is he an accomplished clinician, but also he understands how to bring out the best in people—a rare ability that ultimately translates into better health care for patients. Furthermore, as anyone who has had the opportunity to work with him can attest, Fabrice is exceptionally warm and approachable.
Third, Fabrice will monitor the progress of SELF with the aim of identifying opportunities to improve and optimize our procedures and processes. This will involve, for example, gathering and analyzing feedback from members of the community.
Looking Forward
Fabrice is optimistic about the road ahead: “I see SELF making a real difference,” he says. “Already I have witnessed the SELF framework taking root in faculties across Africa. I feel confident that this will continue.”
Catherine Mohr has full confidence in Fabrice to guide SELF into the future:
“Fabrice has the potential to emerge as a pan-African leader of clinical education. I can’t imagine it was ever in his plan, but no one imagines the opportunities that will come their way when they have the skills to take them on.”
