A longitudinal surgical systems strengthening research program for medical students: the exploration of a model for global health education

Abstract

Background In response to the staggering global burden of conditions requiring emergency and essential surgery, the development of international surgical system strengthening (SSS) is fundamental to achieving universal, timely, quality, and affordable surgical care. Opportunity exists in identifying optimal collaborative processes that both promote global surgery research and SSS, and include medical students. This study explores an education model to engage students in academic global surgery and SSS via institutional support for longitudinal research. Objectives We set out to design a program to align global health education and longitudinal health systems research by creating an education model to engage medical students in academic global surgery and SSS. Program design and implementation In 2015, medical schools in the United States and Colombia initiated a collaborative partnership for academic global surgery research and SSS. This included development of two longitudinal academic tracks in global health medical education and academic global surgery, which we differentiated by level of institutional resourcing. Herein is a retrospective evaluation of the first two years of this program by using commonly recognized academic output metrics. Main achievements In the first two years of the program, there were 76 total applicants to the two longitudinal tracks. Six of the 16 (37.5%) accepted students selected global surgery faculty as mentors (Acute Care Surgery faculty participating in SSS with Colombia). These global surgery students subsequently spent 24 total working weeks abroad over the two-year period participating in culminating research experiences in SSS. As a quantitative measure of the program’s success, the students collectively produced a total of twenty scholarly pieces in the form of accepted posters, abstracts, podium presentations, and manuscripts in partnership with Colombian research mentors. Policy implications The establishment of scholarly global health education and research tracks has afforded our medical students an active role in international SSS through participation in academic global surgery research. We propose that these complementary programs can serve as a model for disseminated education and training of the future global systems-aware surgeon workforce with bidirectional growth in south and north regions with traditionally under-resourced SSS training programs.

Elective Courses in Global Surgery for Undergraduate Medical Students: A Narrative Review and a Proposal for European Universities

“…The search strategy retrieved 649 results, of which 12 studies were included in this review (Figure 1). [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] In total there were eight projects -labeled alphabetically from A to H -in GS were been offered worldwide by universities to undergraduate medical students (Table 1), as five articles referred to project A. [17][18][19][20][21] While five projects (from A to E) were explained in detail, information on the remaining three was superficial and fragmented (projects from F to H).…”

Surgical research in Colombia part 3: Authorship and publications of Colombian medical students in surgery in Colombian medical journals—cross-sectional study

“…Among the objectives for global surgery by 2030 outlined by The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery is the strengthening of surgical research systems and research training of academic surgeons 8 . These systems may be represented by various research units, which vary from country to country, such as research groups in surgery and the inclusion of medical students and residents in research projects 16 . In this way, it is possible to achieve a comprehensive training for the student aspiring to become an academic surgeon.…”

Catch Them Young

“…If Virchow's (Late Rudolf Ludwig Carl Virchow; the father of modern pathology; 1821–1902) teachings were remembered, the fact that ‘medicine is a social science’ would never have been questioned [6]. It is not surprising that early exposure to the ‘social science of global surgery’, when available, during medical school is very effective in inspiring the students, aligning global surgery participation with clinical aspirations, with the ultimate goal of addressing global disparities [3, 7]. It can be a win–win situation for the individual student as well as for the rapidly expanding discipline of global surgery.…”