Residency Training Program

Visiting Elective Program in Pediatric Surgery for Underrepresented in Medicine Surgical Residents

This vsiting elective scholarship program is a unique opportunity for general surgery residents who have overcome difficult paths to surgery (e.g., overcoming racism, sexism, xenophobia or poverty, among other forms of marginalization) and are interested in pursuing a career in general surgery or pediatric surgery and/or pediatric surgery subspecialties (transplant, colorectal, oncology, etc.)

Program Description

This elective will be awarded to two general surgery residents annually. The elective is a one-month experience in October and April. General surgery residents should be in their fourth year (or research years as a more junior resident) to apply.

Residents will spend this time with the Pediatric General Surgery service at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a premier free-standing children’s hospital and one of the original 15 pediatric surgery training programs in the United States. The resident will be integrated into the service, including rounding on the ward and ICU patients, spending time in the operating room and participation in educational conferences. The resident will serve as acting junior Pediatric Surgery fellow for these months. In addition to clinical exposure, this experience will provide exposure to mentorship and longitudinal assistance with career development from our Pediatric Surgery faculty.

The resident’s home institution will still be responsible for resident salary, benefits and liability coverage. An additional stipend of $2,500 is included for travel, housing expenses and meals and will be disbursed at the end of the rotation.

Program Goals

  • Increase exposure to pediatric surgery for residents underrepresented in general surgery.
  • Enhance resident awareness of opportunities in academic medicine.
  • Provide specific mentoring and networking for networking for students who have navigated a difficult path to a career in surgery.

Application Requirements

Applicants for these funded positions should demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and extracurricular experience, and demonstrate a commitment to advancing and advocating for diversity and equity in the field of surgery, including, but not limited to, activities with established organizations (e.g., Student National Medical Association, Latino Medical Student Association, Association of American Indian Physicians, Society of Black Academic Surgeons, Latino Surgical Society, Association of Out Surgeons and Allies), volunteer work, academic/research pursuits or current attendance/graduation from minority serving institutions (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, tribal colleges and universities).

Those who apply to the program should be residents who are highly motivated to pursue a career in pediatric surgery. Residents must be in good standing at an ACGME-accredited United States general surgery residency program. Applicants must provide the following:

  • Brief statement of interest in pediatric surgery and the visiting rotation at Seattle Children’s Hospital (1,000-word limit) reviewing your reasons for wanting to participate, your career goals and how this experience would enhance those goals
  • Current curriculum vitae
  • Two letters of recommendation from clinical faculty members
  • Completed Diversity Funded Elective Application (DOCX)

We began accepting applications February 1 for the 2024-2025 academic year. Application materials should be emailed directly to caitlin.smith@seattlechildrens.org. Applicants will be notified by April 1 of acceptance.