University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa

Designed to train future thought leaders in international surgery, the global health research track at OHSU facilitates study and research abroad at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. Available to research residents and requiring two years of dedicated time, residents in the global health research track study for a Masters in Public Health at the University of Cape Town and conduct research in conjunction with the Department of Surgery. At UCT, residents study alongside physicians and other public health professionals from South Africa, southern Africa, and all around the world. The prolonged experience of living in South Africa, in combination with studying under and alongside public health leaders from around the world, allows for a unique opportunity for residents to gain a true understanding of public and global health.  

In addition to research, there is an opportunity currently being explored to rotate at Frere Hospital and Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, East London, under the pediatric surgery and general surgery firms. This is an evolving partnership with the University of California, Davis, with the first U.S. resident having rotated at Frere for nine months in 2013-2014. Residents would operate as a part of the surgical team, alongside South African surgical registrars, house officers, and consultants. Serving the poorest province in South Africa, residents gain valuable experience treating advanced surgical disease in an indigent population, work in under-resourced settings, and actively participate in academic conferences.