University of Cape Town: Global Surgery Division
University of Cape Town: Global Surgery Division
Program Type
International
Organization Name
University of Cape Town: Global Surgery Division
Internship Location
Cape Town, South Africa
Organization
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is Africa’s leading university. The Global Surgery Division, part of the Surgery Department in the Faculty of Health Sciences, was founded in response to the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery to improve access to and quality of surgical care. Its mission is to enhance surgical care in Africa through education, research, implementation, and advocacy, with a focus on underserved populations and populations in crisis. The Division aims to build surgical leadership in global health, establish an internationally recognized interdisciplinary center of excellence, and provide global leadership in cost-effective surgical care.
Position Overview
The Global Surgery internship provides international students with exposure to global surgery as an emerging discipline. Interns will learn about surgical care delivery in resource-limited settings, understand the social determinants affecting surgical access, explore the relationship between surgical care and population health, and engage with Global Surgery staff and teams.
Project Details
Stillbirths in Africa: Strengthening data systems in collaboration with UNICEF, Africa CDC, and other stakeholders; UCT leads a Technical Advisory group mapping stillbirth data systems.
Data Science for Surgical Injuries: DSine Africa program with a trauma data registry; collaboration with University of Beau (Cameroon) and UCLA.
Community Healthcare Worker Program for Surgery: Developing a pilot program focused on community experiences of surgical care.
Theatre Efficiency Project at Groote Schuur Hospital: Research on surgical processes and outcomes using operating theatre data.
Intern Responsibilities
Participate in ongoing research projects.
Contribute to data collection, analysis, and writing.
Write a perspective or research paper.
Conduct interviews with Global Surgery staff and affiliates.
Attend and participate in Global Surgery events and lectures (by invitation).
Shadow global surgery staff as requested.
Qualifications
Undergraduate in a healthcare-related discipline or an intersecting field such as engineering or social sciences.
Learning Outcomes
Experience in research, including literature reviews, data collection, and writing.
Exposure to advocacy and community engagement in surgical systems.
Understanding of surgical systems strengthening and global surgery operations.
Nature of Internship
Research
Work Environment
Hybrid: Interns are expected in-office or at UCT facilities Monday–Thursday, with remote work on Fridays. On Thursdays, all staff are in-office; other days typically 3–5 staff are present. Interns meet regularly with mentors (in-person or virtually), weekly with their supervisor, and bi-weekly with the Head of Division. The internship allows for self-directed learning and independence, including optional shadowing of clinicians and involvement in community engagement.
Additional Onboarding for Selected Intern(s)
Orientation includes introduction to ongoing projects, mentorship assignments, and guidance on research expectations.
Keywords
Global Health; Surgery; Health Systems Strengthening; Data Science; Research; Community Engagement; Surgical Leadership; Advocacy