The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery offers the first and only NRMP-recognized Global Surgery training program in the nation.
Seated in the one of the largest medical centers in the world and in what has been called the most ethnically diverse metropolitan area in the country, Baylor has a history of training physicians to provide excellence in medical care across the globe. Home of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Global Health Network at Texas Children’s Hospital, and numerous global health initiatives, the Texas Medical Center provides a natural stage for international health collaboration and advancement.
As a reflection of its commitment to both the Houston community and the international community, the Department of Surgery offers an innovative curriculum to train leaders in Academic Global Surgery.
The program incorporates a rigorous two-year global curriculum founded on broad-based surgical skills, international experience, and academic training. With an emphasis on both clinical training in a variety of medical fields and on cognitive and systems-based learning from regional experts and global organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Baylor Global Surgery Track residents are poised to meet the needs of patients in the operating room and beyond. All residents graduate prepared to address the majority of the 44 essential surgeries as outlined by DCP-3 and to lead local, national, and international initiatives.
Each resident is encouraged to explore his or her specific passion within global surgery. The schedule is thus tailored uniquely to each resident’s interests and educational goals – with the resident trainee working with staff, faculty mentors and senior global surgery residents to develop their own unique global surgery curriculum!
Curriculum Details
The Global Surgery Track (NRMP#1716440C2) incorporates two years of training to not only build an excellent general surgery foundation but also confer a rural and international medicine perspective, develop surgical skills in multiple specialties beyond general surgery, and allow time for extensive research and advocacy work. Baylor’s unique schedule splits the global surgery track residency into two separate years. The first-year General Surgery Global Surgery track resident (GS-1 year) follows the clinical PGY-2 year, serving to introduce the fellow to global surgery issues and clinical skills necessary in resource-limited environments. The second-year General Surgery Global Surgery track resident (GS-2 year) follows the clinical fifth year of their training. As a board-eligible surgeon, the senior resident will both mentor residents and provide much-needed surgical care in rural and international settings.
Designed to prepare surgeons to skillfully face emergent scenarios in resource-limited environments, residents complete diverse rotations throughout their two years of training. Below is a list of such rotations selected by current and former general surgery global surgery track residents.
- Baylor College of Medicine: National School of Tropical Medicine (Houston, Texas)
- Tropical Surgery, Obstetrics, and Gynecology Skills Course
- Tropical Medicine Course
- Burn Surgery
- Galveston, Texas
- San Antonio, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- International Surgery
- Cuenca, Ecuador
- Menouf, Egypt
- Chichicastenango, Guatemala
- Balfate Colon, Honduras
- Lilongwe, Malawi
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Sengerema, Tanzania
- Kampala, Uganda
- Da Nang, Vietnam
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Houston, Texas
- Lilongwe, Malawi
- Orthopedic Surgery (Houston, Texas)
- Otolaryngology (Houston, Texas)
- Pediatric Surgery
- Columbus, OH
- Kampala, Uganda
- Lilongwe, Malwai
- Point-of-care and Procedural Ultrasound (Houston, Texas)
- Research
- Urology (Houston, Texas)
- World Health Organization Internship (Geneva, Switzerland)
Both years include training within the Texas Medical Center, in rural Texas, and internationally. International site locations are tailored to the interests of the resident.
Wednesdays throughout the year are reserved for research and didactics. While rotating locally, residents participate in an extensive Global Surgery didactic schedule. Examples of Global Surgery didactic modules include the establishment of a field hospital, approach to natural disasters, cultural considerations to medical care, and economic evaluation of volunteerism.
In addition, residents may choose to complete either a Master's in Public Health at The University of Texas School of Public Health, the Diploma Course in Tropical Medicine or the Diploma Course in Tropical Surgery from the National School of Tropical Medicine.
The Center for Global Surgery
The Center functions as a hub for surgical education, disparities research, and local and international partnerships, as well as acting as an incubator for global health innovation.
Resident Research in Malawi
Baylor College of Medicine residents are contributing to research aimed at improving treatment for diseases around the world.
Resident Success Stories
Global Surgery Track Resident success stories from around the globe.
Credit
Essential Surgery Skills Course
Physicians train to provide emergent surgical care in low surgeon-density, humanitarian and disaster contexts.
