Master of Global Surgical Care (MGSC)

Overview

This online two-year, 30 credit specialized program is designed to prepare surgical care professionals from many disciplines to address surgical challenges and contribute to finding solutions in low resource settings globally.

The program provides a strong foundation for present and future global surgical care professionals by developing knowledge and skills in the interpretation and use of published experience and research, balanced with applied learning in low resource settings. Students will spend four to eight weeks in an underserved location globally, producing practical “on-the-ground” skills. The location of the placement is determined by the student in consultation with a program advisor.

A blended model of practicum based learning and on-line teaching methods facilitate the participation of candidates from across Canada and around the world.

Academic Progress Requirement

For students who begin the MGSC in September 2023 or later, all SURG courses in the MGSC are graded on a pass/fail basis with 74% being required to pass. Students will not receive a grade or percentage on their transcript, but will receive a notation of Pass or Fail.

Students who began the MGSC prior to September 2023 will remain on a percentage grading system.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

Our graduate program is an innovative, online program focused on the global burden of unmet surgical care. Learners will build on their health-care related disciplines to gain the fundamental knowledge, critical thinking tools and practical skills needed to lead the way to improved access to care by addressing the gap that exists between surgical need and the equitable provision of safe surgical care in low resource settings.

The Master of Global Surgical Care (MGSC) is an online two-year, 30-credit specialized program consisting of 8 courses designed to prepare surgical care professionals from many disciplines to address surgical challenges and contribute to solutions in low-resource settings globally. The MGSC includes the option to complete a specialized stream in Canadian Low Resource Settings, focusing on the unique issues affecting surgical care in rural and remote low resource settings in Canada.

Each 3-credit course is delivered completely online over a period of 12 weeks. Courses are designed to bring different and complementary essential aspects that provide depth and breadth to the subject. Students research journal articles, view videos, complete course-specific tasks and assignments as well as engage in facilitated online discussion forums.

By expanding students’ knowledge of conditions, and global circumstances, that shape surgical care globally, graduates will become leaders in this emerging academic discipline and equipped to play an integral part in provision of global surgical care in low resource settings.

This Masters program bridges the gap between the international demand and the health professionals' education to meet the learning needs of this growing cadre of students. Currently, there are no accredited graduate-level degree programs available to this cadre that focus on surgical care issues and this Masters program is unique in the world.

Program Structure

The MGSC is an online two-year, 30-credit specialized program designed to prepare surgical care professionals from many disciplines to address surgical challenges and to contribute to finding solutions in low resource settings globally. The program is designed for graduate students, postgraduate trainees, surgical faculty, or surgery-related allied health care workers across the globe.

A blended model of practicum based learning and on-line teaching methods facilitate the participation of candidates from across Canada and around the world. Students spend four to eight weeks in an underserved location globally, producing practical "on-the-ground" skills.

Students are required to complete 30 credits of SURG courses which include the 6 credit Global Surgical Care Field Practicum.

SURG 510 (3) Surgical Care in International Health
SURG 512 (3) Global Disability: A Surgical Care Mandate
SURG 514 (3) Surgical Care in Humanitarian Disaster Response
SURG 516 (3) Program Planning and Evaluation in Surgical Care Low Resource Settings
SURG 517 (3) Clinical Research Methods for Surgical Procedures with Global Surgical Comparisons
SURG 518 (3) Surgical Care in Canada's Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities with Global Comparisons
SURG 542 (3) Directed Study in Global Surgical Care
SURG 560 (6) Global Surgical Care Field Practicum
Elective (3) Approved by the Graduate Advisor

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Medicine

Academic Unit Department of Surgery

Specialization Global Surgical Care

Mode of delivery Online / Distance (100%)

Program Components Coursework + Practicum

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: 13,500.00 | International: 15,000.00

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Fees	Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat	International
Application Fee	$118.50	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$4,500.00	$5,000.00
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$13,500.00	$15,000.00
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible)		Not applicable
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees	Vary
Deposit to accept offer (if admitted)
Deposit requirement	$1000.00	$1000.00

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.

Employer support

Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Options

Upon completion of the program, learners will be able to:

Articulate and discuss both historical and current dimensions of the evolving global surgical care discipline;
Apply critical thinking to current and proposed global surgical care projects and programs;
Provide leadership in global surgical care, including in the areas of care delivery, infrastructure development, education and research;
Analyze barriers to surgical care in underserved populations globally, including both internationally and within Canada (e.g. rural Indigenous communities) and foster solutions;
Initiate, design, implement and evaluate a surgical care project (research or educational development) in partnership with host colleagues of a low resource setting globally;
Critique programs of disaster mitigation and contribute to disaster readiness both nationally and internationally;
Actively contribute to monitoring and evaluation programs of global health initiatives;
Provide leadership in advocacy at decision making levels for addressing the unmet surgical care burden of underserved populations globally;
Apply the skills of one’s own professional background to the spectrum of the global surgical care discipline.

Graduates will be capable of providing leadership in global surgical care initiatives. Courses on project and research methodology and on monitoring and evaluation methodology, together with a supervised field practicum will enable graduates to determine barriers, challenges and opportunities present in unmet surgical care burdens and to propose and facilitate solutions, in partnership with national host colleagues, to these burdens. They will significantly contribute both as prepared participants and as leaders in the discipline. graduates and will be empowered with skills and tools to apply to the field of global surgery in academic, grassroots or non-governmental organizations, or with agencies involved in global surgical care.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Master of Global Surgical Care (MGSC). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Applications	12	17	14	14	9
Offers	10	14	12	10	6
New Enrolment	6	11	9	7	6
Total Enrolment	24	25	24	24	16

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 73% based on 11 students admitted between 2015 - 2018. Based on 22 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 0.68 years and the maximum time is 3.78 years with an average of 2.28 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.

Disclaimer

Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new enrolment for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.

Program Website

Program Enquiries

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Overview

What makes the program unique?

Program Structure

Quick Facts

Admission Information & Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

English Language Test

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Other Test Scores

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

Other Requirements

2) Meet Deadlines

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

Letters of Reference

Statement of Interest

Supervision

Citizenship Verification

4) Apply Online

Research Information

Research Focus

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

Employer support

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Foreign government scholarships

Working while studying

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Cost Estimator

Career Options

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates & Times

Disclaimer

Related Programs

Same specialization

Same Academic Unit

Further Information

Specialization

UBC Calendar

Program Website

Faculty

Academic Unit

Program Identifier

Classification

Program Enquiries

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