Plastic and Oral Surgery

Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship

Historically, global public health discourse has largely omitted surgical care from its list of priorities. However, conditions amenable to surgical treatment such as injuries, cancer, congenital anomalies and complications from childbirth comprise a significant and growing proportion of global death and disability.  In addition, research done over the last several decades has highlighted the essential role of surgical care in horizontal health systems strengthening and health augmentation in resource-poor settings.  Despite these findings, however, the provision of surgical services remains unequally distributed around the world: the poorest third of the population receive less than 4% of the world’s available surgical services, while the richest third receive nearly 75%. The effects of lack of surgical care can extend far beyond health status, crippling advances in development and economic enhancement. Given the significant burden of surgical disease and the devastating impact lack of treatment can cause, surgery can no longer be considered a privilege for the few.

Surgeons associated with Harvard teaching hospitals Partners In Health (PIH) and the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) at Harvard Medical School are addressing the need for a surgical role in global health through the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship. In this fellowship, dedicated surgeons are able to obtain the medical and non-medical skills they need to improve the health of some of the world's most impoverished people.

The Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship is a one or two year fellowship offering a Clinical Track and a Research Track. The Clinical Track focuses on clinical care provision through service and training; candidates are required to have completed their surgical residency by the start of the clinical fellowship. The Research Track focuses on global health research and is designed for those who are taking time away from their residency or have completed their training; completion of surgical training is not required. For more information on the two tracks, please click the links below.

Paul Farmer Global Surgery Clinical Fellowship

Paul Farmer Global Surgery Research Fellowship

Interested fellows have the option to incorporate a Masters of Public Health degree into their fellowship. The MPH degree can be started through the Summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness at the Harvard School of Public Health. Obtaining an MPH will require a separate application to the Harvard School of Public Health (see Application Instructions). Tuition and fees associated with matriculation in the MPH program will be the responsibility of the Fellow.

Any questions regarding the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship should be directed to:

Jonathan Lawson
Partners In Health
888 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

jlawson@pih.org

For Medical Students:

There are multiple avenues for medical students who are interested in taking a year away from their formal studies to be involved with our work.  Please contact GlobalSurgery@childrens.harvard.edu for more information.