Global Surgery Pathway

The Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital offers a Global Surgery Pathway as part of its surgical residency curriculum.

The Department of Surgery at Mass General is involved in many clinical projects around the world. Multidisciplinary teams travel to countries such as Colombia and Liberia to provide medical and surgical care to those in need, while also working to strengthen the health care infrastructures within these areas.

About the Global Surgery Pathway

The Department of Surgery is pleased to offer a Global Surgery Pathway as part of its surgical residency curriculum for Mass General surgical residents interested in pursuing international work. A number of electives have been developed to offer our residents opportunities for clinical, research and surgical education projects in low- and middle-income countries.

The Global Surgery Pathway includes:

• One month during the second or third resident year for a Global Surgery elective (non-clinical only)
• Full salary support for two research years (usually after the third resident year) to pursue international work, which may include:
  • Tracking into the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Research Fellowship, a collaboration between Partners In Health and the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change at Harvard Medical School
  • An opportunity to pursue a Master’s of Public Health degree at Harvard School of Public Health
  • One month during the fourth resident year for a Global Surgery Elective (clinical or non-clinical)

Surgical residents on the Global Surgery Pathway have access to a number of opportunities for education and clinical work. Some examples of Global Surgery electives are below, though residents are free to tailor their own electives, pending approval. Limited funding support will be available.

• Humanitarian Response Intensive Course (offered annually in April)
• HSPH Global Health Delivery Summer Intensive Program (offered biannually in January and July)
• Partners HealthCare International Exchange Program (one month educational/research project)
• Independent global surgery research project with international component (two weeks to one month)
• Supervised clinical elective at international site (one month, available in the fourth resident year only)

Additional Opportunities

Mass General residents, even those not on the Global Surgery Pathway, are exposed to additional global health opportunities throughout the Harvard community.

• Early (resident years one through three) involvement with the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change with potential research collaborations
• Cross-site collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Center for Surgery and Public Health, including Academic Global Surgery Forum, a monthly journal club featuring guest speakers and global surgery discussions
• Regular evening education sessions (one session every one to two months) offered through Partners CoE