Emily is a general surgery resident at Loma Linda University Health and is currently in her first year of the Master of Global Surgical Care (MGSC) program. She holds an undergraduate degree in Global Studies from Arizona State University and went on to complete her medical education at Loma Linda University. Read on to learn more about Emily’s experiences, what led her to MGSC, her journey in global surgical care, and more!
What are some of your hobbies & interests (cooking, sports, travelling, etc?) What do you love to do in your spare time?
I love being active and outside! Anything from running, hiking, gardening, skiing, etc.
Can you please tell us about your career or professional background?
I am currently in the midst of dedicated research time between my third and fourth years of general surgery residency at Loma Linda University Health. I also completed my medical education at Loma Linda University and earned my undergraduate degree in Global Studies from Arizona State University. My academic and professional training has been intentionally shaped to align clinical surgery with global health systems strengthening.
What has inspired you to study and work in the field of global surgery? What has been most meaningful to you in your surgical education journey so far? Please share any experiences you have had in global surgery work.
My interest in global work began at a very young age. At four years old, I traveled to rural Mexico to visit my grandparents, who were serving as missionaries. During that visit, I befriended children my own age and was exposed to profound disparities in living conditions — single-room homes with dirt floors and cracked walls. That early experience made a lasting impression and instilled a desire to help extend opportunity to those who have historically lacked access to it. Over time, that interest matured through experiences like teaching English in Ecuador, providing HIV/AIDS prevention education in India, and assisting with a short-term surgical camp in Ghana. These experiences ultimately refined my passion toward global surgery, where I see the potential for sustainable, systems-level impact. The most meaningful aspect of my surgical education has been learning how technical surgical skills, when paired with ethical global engagement, can contribute to long-term improvements in quality of life.
What attracted you to the MGSC? How do you plan to use the skills and knowledge gained from this program in your career in the future?
The MGSC program appealed to me for several reasons. While in-person interaction is valuable, the fully online and asynchronous format allows me the flexibility to travel and pursue global opportunities throughout the year. I was also drawn to the program’s specific focus on surgical care and the unique challenges inherent to practicing and researching global surgery. My long-term goal is to work in a low- or middle-income country to help build sustainable healthcare capacity. The frameworks and tools provided by the MGSC program will help me approach this work in a systematic, ethical, and evidence-based manner.
I understand you have been involved in multiple global surgery projects across different countries. Could you share more about these experiences and how they have shaped your studies and perspective in the MGSC program?
Through Loma Linda University, I have had the opportunity to work alongside surgeon-mentors engaged in a wide range of international partnerships across the globe. These experiences have spanned diverse models of global surgery engagement — from surgeons serving on World Health Organization committees to annual short-term surgical camps in an alumnus’s hometown in Ghana. Exposure to this breadth of approaches has been invaluable. Seeing global surgery practiced thoughtfully and effectively using the principles emphasized in the MGSC program, as well as observing the challenges that arise when initiatives are less strategically planned, has helped sharpen my critical perspective. These experiences have reinforced the importance of intentional design, sustainability, and ethical engagement, shaping how I approach both my studies and future global surgery work.
How has your residency and clinical training at Loma Linda University shaped your perspective and approach to global surgery?
My residency and clinical training at Loma Linda University have strongly shaped my approach to global surgery by emphasizing long-term partnerships, capacity building, and mentorship. One particularly formative experience has been my involvement with Loma Linda’s partnership with the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS), a network of general surgery residency programs across Africa dedicated to training African surgeons to serve in their home countries. Through this partnership, I have worked with the PAACS research director to support resident-led research projects at multiple sites and to help strengthen institutional research capacity. This work has translated many of the principles taught in the MGSC program into real-world application. My training at Loma Linda has exposed me to many examples of successful global surgery careers and makes me excited to continue on my own path.
Is there any work/document/article that you are currently working on that you’d like to promote? Our community would love to find out what our students are currently working on. How can our community learn more about you? (Website, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.)
One project I am particularly excited about — and may use as my final MGSC project — is the implementation of Stop the Bleed training courses in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Our team’s broader goal is to improve trauma care systems around our partner facility, Nazarene General Hospital. I would love to connect with others who have worked on similar initiatives, have partnerships in Papua New Guinea, or are interested in trauma system development in resource-limited settings. Those interested in learning more or collaborating can reach me by email at estevenson@llu.edu!