Podcasts · Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast

Building a Career in Global Surgery - Purpose, Mentorship, and Impact

· 28 min · Episode 173 · Bonus

Episode Building a Career in Global Surgery - Purpose, Mentorship, and Impact

0:00 28:29

In this episode of the Behind the Knife Global Surgery Series, we explore what it actually takes to build a meaningful career in global surgery. Global surgery is not a single specialty or job title—it is a broad field that intersects with clinical care, education, research, policy, advocacy, implementation science, and health-system strengthening. So how do trainees and early-career surgeons find their place in it?

Host Mike M. Mallah is joined by Dr. Barnabas Alayande and Dr. Lacey LaGrone for a candid discussion about the personal and professional paths that brought them into global surgery. Dr. Alayande shares how experiences with limited access to healthcare in Nigeria shaped his decision to pursue medicine and ultimately global surgery, while Dr. LaGrone discusses her focus on translating evidence into clinical practice and building scalable approaches to knowledge dissemination.

Together, they discuss why purpose matters, why global surgery should be viewed as a field rather than a job title, and why aspiring global surgeons should first become excellent at something that allows them to add real value. The conversation also examines mentorship, the difference between visibility and impact, the importance of integrity in partnerships, and the personal sacrifices that can accompany a career devoted to this work.

For medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty interested in global surgery, this episode offers practical advice: develop meaningful expertise, seek mentors who are genuinely invested in your growth, focus less on recognition and more on impact, and keep doing the next right thing—excellently.

Hosts/Guests: Mike M. Mallah, MD, FACS, FICS Director of Global Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina @MikeMMallahMD @MUSCGlobalSurg mallahm@musc.edu

Barnabas Alayande, MD Chair, Center for Equity and Global Surgery University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda General Surgeon, Surgical Educator, and Global Surgery Leader @DrBarnabasAlay

Lacey LaGrone, MD Associate Director of Research, Medical Center of the Rockies Associate Clinical Faculty, University of Colorado Co-Founder, Together Made Acute Care Surgeon, Surgical Intensivist, and Global Surgery Leader

Papers noted: · Abimbola S. The foreign gaze: authorship in academic global health. BMJ Global Health. 2019;4:e002068. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002068 · Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown https://gregmckeown.com/books/essentialism/

Topics discussed: Career pathways in global surgery; finding your “why”; global surgery as a field rather than a specialty; developing expertise; implementation science; mentorship; visibility versus impact; ethical partnerships; professional sacrifice; work-life balance; and advice for the next generation of global surgeons.

Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more. If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://behindtheknife.org/listen Behind the Knife Premium: https://behindtheknife.org/premium Oral Board Review: https://behindtheknife.org/oral-board Oral Board Simulator: https://behindtheknife.org/oral-board/simulator General Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/general-surgery-oral-board-review Trauma Surgery Video Atlas: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/trauma-surgery-video-atlas Dominate Surgery: A High-Yield Guide to Your Surgery Clerkship: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/dominate-surgery-a-high-yield-guide-to-your-surgery-clerkship Dominate Surgery for APPs: A High-Yield Guide to Your Surgery Rotation: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/dominate-surgery-for-apps-a-high-yield-guide-to-your-surgery-rotation Vascular Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/vascular-surgery-oral-board-review Colorectal Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/colorectal-surgery-oral-board-review…

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