Commentary: An academic track in global surgery.

Hospital launched a Global Surgery Fellowship in 2009 to furnish future surgical leaders with the academic, clinical, and administrative skills of global surgery, public health, and surgical systems development. Endowed fellowship positions---both clinical and research-based---combined with master’s programs in public health or business administration will allow a really new generation of surgeons and anesthesiologists to gain the skillset of an academic global surgeon. Through the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School has embraced increasingly an academic platform and viable career pathway for surgeons and anesthesiologists interested in global health; academic promotion is based on global activities in health leadership, education, and research, not just publications. While seeking to create a home for global surgery in the academy, we must never lose sight of our mission: to bring quality surgical services to the poorest people on the planet. Achieving that mission will require more than tacit acceptance of surgeons and their professional association; it must be embedded in the vision, strategic