Abstract
BACKGROUND: Training of foreign medical graduates in surgical oncology is an undervalued intervention for improving global cancer care. The aim of this work was to describe the design and results of a clinical training program for international surgeons from a single comprehensive cancer center. STUDY DESIGN: Of 39 international fellows trained during 20 years, 34 were surveyed about education, research, and current context of surgical practice. A citation and H-index calculation (ie h number of publications that each has at least h citations) was performed to assess scientific productivity of each graduated fellow. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 39 (54%) fellows came from countries in which English is not the primary language. Europe was the continent with the most graduates (17 of 39 [43%]), and only 5 of 39 (13%) were from Latin America. Three of 39 (8%) were women. Thirty-one of 39 graduated fellows (80%) returned to their countries of origin. The survey response rate was 73% (25 of 34). Seventeen of twenty-five (68%) work in an academic setting and 13 (52%) reported surgical oncology as their main clinical practice. Total number of citations and H-index are homogeneous among the different regions from which the fellows originated, with a median of 165 citations and median H-index of 5. CONCLUSIONS: The International General Surgical Oncology Fellowship has successfully trained foreign surgeons for academic practice in surgical oncology. Most of the graduates have returned to their country of origin and contributed to education and research there.