We are delighted to announce that Laxmi Dongur, MD, a valued member of our surgical team, has been honored with the prestigious American College of Surgeons (ACS) Operation Giving Back (OGB) scholarship for surgery residents. This esteemed recognition underscores her commitment to global surgery and her dedication to improving surgical care on a broader scale. 

Dr. Dongur's scholarship includes access to a 1-day Didactic Course titled "Global Health Competencies for Surgeons: Cognitive and System Skills," scheduled for Saturday, October 21, in Boston, Massachusetts. This course is designed to equip participants with crucial skills required to excel in low-resource surgical environments. 

Topics covered during the course include situational ethics, cultural competency, tropical diseases relevant in surgery, personal preparedness and health considerations, and the responsibilities of health workers in global surgical settings. It also explores the scope of "essential surgical" procedures defined by the Disease Control Priorities (DCP-3). 

One of the outstanding features of this scholarship is the opportunity for professional development and networking. Dr. Dongur will have the privilege of connecting with experienced faculty members in global surgery, fostering collaborations and knowledge-sharing that can enhance our department's contributions to global surgical care. 

We congratulate Dr. Dongur on this well-deserved honor and look forward to the valuable insights and experiences she will gain from the ACS Operation Giving Back Didactic Course. Her dedication to advancing surgical care globally is an inspiration to us all. We wish her the best of luck on this enriching journey of professional growth and global impact. 

A message from Dr. Dongur:

"After my recent trip to Kenya, I learned that the smallest changes to patient care can have big rippling effects on the community given that the changes are implementable, reproducible, and sustainable. Creating the bridge between two worlds with variable healthcare systems allows surgeons to form creative solutions to age-old problems, which ultimately helps to improve quality of life and reduce suffering for our patients in the short term but also the long-term."