The Role of the US Surgeon in Global Care

Melding the Reality at Home with Global Need

Abstract

There is a great mismatch between surgeon workforce capacity in the US and other high income countries (HICs) and that in low and lower middle income countries (LMICs). Many surgeons in HICs are willing to try to be of assistance in LMICs. It is not intuitive, though, exactly how such assistance is best delivered. Similarly, the body of literature describing what is known about the needs in LMICs may not be in the usual cadre of journals and sources accessed by many practicing surgeons. Consequently, many surgeons who are capable and willing to help in LMICs are often not sure how their abilities might be best used.

This essay presents a very brief overview of what is known about those needs, then presents some commentary on how the practicing surgeon in the US and other HICs may be best utilized, with particular attention to the short term trip model. Deployment in the short term trip model is often the most practical and available means of making this effort for HIC surgeons. This model has come under significant criticism in recent years, often for good reason, but it is argued that details of the implementation of that model can determine its applicability to developmental needs. Given the practicality of short term deployments for HIC surgeons, it behooves Ministries of Health and NGOs to examine how trips of this nature can be incorporated into the overall bigger picture of surgical development.

This essay aims to help the perspective of the HIC surgeon as s/he seeks to contribute to the development of surgical access and quality for the approximately five billion people in the world who do not have adequate access to surgical care.