Global Surgery Fellowship

Our clinically focused Global Surgery Fellowship (GSF) prepares one U.S.-trained general surgeon to competently perform surgeries in rural, low-resource environments, and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The program takes place over the course of one year and is non‑ACGME–accredited. Our goal is to help you become capable of addressing the overwhelming surgical needs in the developing world and provide access to safe surgery globally. We are deeply dedicated to Loma Linda University Health’s motto, “to make man whole,” and mission to continue the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

We are actively accepting applications for our next fellow, who will begin training on August 1st. Please note, our program only accepts U.S.-trained general surgeons — we do not accept non-surgeon doctors or surgeons trained outside of the U.S.

You can submit applications by emailing all necessary documents to the program coordinator: Alana Symons at [email protected].

How to apply: View application instructions and get answers to common questions.

Why Choose Us

We are dedicated to helping solve surgical needs in LMICs. In 2015, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) recognized that the lack of access to safe surgical care results in 3-times more deaths than HIV, TB, and Malaria combined, leading the W.H.O. to make global surgery a priority in public health. There are approximately five billion people around the globe who lack access to safe and affordable surgical and anesthesia care, with a vast majority of those people living in LMIC. Our program prepares you to address these issues through:

Global impact: We train you to provide surgeries in underserved settings and support progress toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dedication to service: We are uniquely equipped for a global surgery fellowship because of our long history of international service and direct connection to a wide network of hospitals across low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs).

Experienced leadership: Our Program Director, Dr. Ryan Hayton, brings sustained commitment to addressing global surgical needs, shaped by his real-world experience providing surgical care in low‑resource environments.

Program Overview

Curriculum

You'll dedicate an estimated nine months at our medical center for intensive rotations across various specialties and three months at Malamulo Adventist Hospital in Malawi. This focused period is designed not only to develop critical skills for the delivery of general surgical care in LMICs but also to immerse you in a learning environment rich with expertise. By training alongside our world-class faculty, you’ll gain access to techniques, best practices, and advanced clinical reasoning that can then be translated into your experiences abroad. Our ultimate goal is to ensure you are an expert surgeon, educator, and leader while providing services in both LMICs and home hospitals.

Additionally, you’ll join our team as an acute care surgeon in the role of junior faculty during your nine-month rotations. This critical role requires you to manage at minimum five acute care general surgery call shifts per month at a high-volume, tertiary care center.

This requirement is strategic and serves two primary functions:

Maintenance of high-acuity general surgical skill sets while on off-service rotations
Provides a structured, familiar environment for you to practice leadership and teaching, preparing you for similar educational responsibilities at the mission hospital abroad.

LLUMC Rotations

Orthopedic Surgery
Neurosurgery
Obstetrics
Gynecology
Anesthesia
Urology

ENT
Ophthalmology
Pediatric Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Ultrasound
Dentistry

Research

The fellow will complete at least one research paper focusing on a topic in Global Surgery.

Sustaining Impact: The Fellow as Local Faculty

Our fellowship is explicitly designed to cultivate surgical leaders who can deliver lasting change. In addition to our intensive skill acquisition phase, you’ll transition into a vital faculty role as a part of our acute care surgery service and upon deployment to the mission hospital. While in Malawi, your experience will shift from primarily learning to teaching and local capacity building.

You will be expected to use your recently refined expertise to actively mentor and train the host nation's medical staff, including local surgeons, residents, and nurses. This critical can involve:

Hands-on operating room guidance: Providing direct, one-on-one surgical instruction and mentorship to enhance local surgeons' technical proficiency.

Didactic education: Conducting structured lectures, case reviews, and simulation sessions to instill modern, evidence-based surgical practices.

Protocol implementation: Assisting the mission hospital in establishing and refining standards of care, ensuring improved patient safety and outcomes.

By focusing on this educational component, you’ll help ensure that the impact of the fellowship is sustainable. You are not merely filling a temporary service gap but are helping build a knowledgeable and highly skilled local surgical workforce, ensuring that the elevated standard of general surgical care endures long after your rotation is complete.