Department of Surgery

Faculty of Medicine

Education

To stimulate discussion and awareness among department members and the local community about surgical issues in global health

The GSO seeks to enhance the breadth and depth of local faculty and trainee surgical skill development through international collaboration with a global surgery lens. The office sees education as a one of three pillars (education, research and outreach) that is essential to addressing local and global inequities of access to high quality surgical care. We are actively developing targeted clinical fellowships for surgeons from low- and middle-income countries to address local training deficiencies (e.g. endoscopy). These fellowships are targeting enrollment for the Spring of 2023.

The GSO is also positioning the Department of Surgery, along with the Global Health Office, to more effectively meet the needs of Dalhousie University trainees who are interested in pursuing international electives.

ACUTE CARE GLOBAL SURGERY PROGRAM

Dalhousie’s Global Surgery Office, in partnership with the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, presents the Acute Care Global Surgery Program.

Launched in 2023, the program offers two distinct streams: 

The Acute Care Global Surgery Fellowship: Designed for post-graduates and fellows from across surgical sub-disciplines.

The Acute Care Global Surgery Scholar: Tailored for medical students and surgical residents interested in global surgery.

This program provides a framework for trainees to explore surgical disparities through a global lens. Both streams include a 6-month research placement at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, followed by an international clinical placement.

For the Acute Care Global Surgery Fellowship, the program includes a structured 6-month international clinical placement.

For the Acute Care Global Surgery Scholar, the duration of the international clinical placement is flexible and dependant on the applicant's residency/program requirements.

The clinical component will be tailored to the research and career goals of the successful applicant and will build on the Department’s extensive global network of collaborators and mentors.

Eligibility and Application:

Acute Care Global Surgery Fellowship: Open to graduates of a recognized medical school (Canadian or International), who have completed an accredited surgical residency.

Acute Care Global Surgery Scholar: Open to medical students and surgical residents with an intetest in global surgery. 

Interested applicants should submit the following documents to the GSO Coordinator:

  1. CV
  2. Personal Statement (max. 1-page): Include future career goals, relevant experience in Global Surgery research, service or advocacy and potential funding sources (e.g. home institution, local grants).
  3. Research Proposal (max. 1-page): Include a brief background and primary objective of a proposed study / project. Study design and methodology an asset but not required.
  4. 2 letters of recommendation

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR THE 2024-2025 INTAKE. Please check back for future opportunities or contact the GSO Coordinator for more information about upcoming application cycles. 

DAL/ARGO COLONOSCOPY PROCTOR COURSE

In 2024, GSO enthusiastically announced its active participation and financial support for the Dal/ARGO Colonoscopy Proctor course, a crucial initiative combating the increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in Nigeria. Collaborating with ARGO, a renowned NIH-funded consortium, the course focuses on upskilling surgeons through hands-on training, evaluating low and high-fidelity models. GSO's commitment follows its 2022 pledge of $10,000 USD to ARGO, reinforcing our dedication to addressing healthcare challenges and advancing medical education and research in Nigeria. This strategic partnership aims to significantly impact CRC detection and treatment in the region.

The Global Surgery Office including Dalhousie's surgical oncologists Dr. Gregory Knapp and Dr. Richard Spence has made waves in colorectal cancer care in Nigeria! ✨ 

Their cutting-edge endoscopy training course, held this past April, has revolutionized surgical oncology efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa by equipping Nigerian junior surgeons with crucial skills to combat rising cancer rates. Read all about it in the September 2024 issue of Doctors Nova Scotia or grab your copy today!

PROJECT ECHO - BREAST CANCER

Dr. Gregory Knapp currently co-chairs a monthly multidisciplinary breast cancer case discussion with Dr. Olalekan Olasehinde from partner institution Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The case discussion follows the ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) format.

Participants include members of the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO) from across Nigeria and the U.S.  

Previous sessions are archived at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLME9VJQhE-htQN2_N6pEZBKJYeFuSOlmx

Please contact the GSO Coordinator for more details on how to join.

INTERNATIONAL ELECTIVES

Preparing to apply for clinical electives abroad can be a daunting experience. The GSO has the resources to facilitate your international elective. We can assist with the application process, pre-departure planning, obtaining entry/licensing documents and ttravel planning.

The GSO is working with a number of international institutions and organizations to provide safe and structured clinical electives to trainees within the department of Surgery. These international electives will allow our residents to enrich and diversify their medical education in novel practice environments. 

Please contact the GSO Coordinator for assistance setting up international electives.