Global Surgery

The Department of Surgery is passionate about advancing global surgery and is committed to supporting our residents in gaining clinical and research experience in global surgery. Several faculty members are currently involved in global surgery projects:

  • Dr. Tamara Fitzgerald (Pediatric Surgery- Uganda): Low-cost Gastroschisis silo development. Low- cost Laparoscopy device development.
  • Dr. Henry Rice (Pediatric Surgery- Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia): Research and teaching partnership in Global Surgery with the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda. Policy-directed analyses of global surgical care and global cancer care for children using large national and international datasets. Studies of linkage of poverty and surgical care in Somaliland and several other LMICs. Examination of disparities in surgical care for children and family-decision making in North Carolina and Virginia. Restorative justice-based intervention: Prescriptions for Repair for survivors of gun violence in Durham.
  • Dr. Carmelo Milano (Cardiothoracic Surgery- Honduras): Global CT surgery clinic Outreach: Duke Heart For Honduras
  • Dr. Alisan Fathalizadeh (General Surgery, MIS): Member of Operation Giving Back. Global General surgery clinical Outreach to Uganda, Peru, Turkey, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan.

Duke Global Surgical Equity Pathway

To ensure that our residents have access to the resources, funding and a wide array of Global Health mentors, the Department of Surgery provides the Duke Global Surgical Equity Pathway for General Surgery Residents through a long standing partnership with the Duke Center for Global Surgery, Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health, and Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI).

This training pathway is aimed at developing academic leaders who work to reduce human suffering caused by surgical disparities. The program focuses on improving surgical outcomes and access to care in low- and middle-income countries and specific regions of North Carolina.

This pathway delivers didactic and practical training leading to a Master’s of Science in Global Health (MSc-GH), clinical experiences in rural North Carolina and global settings, rural and global surgery research opportunities, and research mentorship for surgical residents desiring a career focused on surgical equity. Each resident’s experience is tailored to address her or his career goals.