CGS Annual Dr. Richard J. Deckelbaum
Student Conference in Global Surgery
may 9, 2026
Thomson House on McGill University campus in Montreal (in person) & Zoom (virtual)
8:30 a, to 4:30 pm
conference OVERVIEW
Through a collaborative effort between students and health professionals from the McGill University Health Centre and international partners, we aim to provide a forum for discussion regarding the different challenges and approaches within the field of global surgery.
The CGS Annual Dr. Richard J. Deckelbaum Student Conference in Global Surgery is a student-led conference that occurs annually at McGill University to expose students to global surgery leaders and ongoing projects around the world. This year, the conference will be held on May 9, 2026 on the theme:
Global Surgery: Reflections of the Past, Realities of the Present, and Visions for the Future
FEATURED SPEAKERS
CONFRENCE PROGRAMME
The 14th edition of the conference was hosted on the McGill University Campus and virtually; it was open to all trainees locally and internationally.
This hybrid event brought together speakers from diverse backgrounds to explore how we can advance equitable access to surgical care worldwide. The program featured keynote talks, a case competition, and research presentations, offering a multidisciplinary perspective at the intersection of surgery, policy, and global health.
The 2026 conference also marked the
15th anniversary
of the Centre for Global Surgery
Background
Injury and surgical disease are significant contributors to global morbidity and mortality. Surgically treatable conditions alone account for approximately 30% of the global burden of disease. The medical community is increasingly recognizing access to essential surgical care as a core component of all health systems, as demonstrated by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and WHO’s Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care. Despite this boost in international attention and research, basic surgical care remains unavailable to the majority of the world’s population.
This conference aims to bring together students and professionals from different health science backgrounds, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, across multiple Canadian universities, to stimulate research and promote global surgery.
Objectives
To highlight the value and importance of global surgery
To educate students and healthcare professionals on high impact approaches in global surgery
To provide opportunities to present research relevant to global surgery
To stimulate research and encourage networking to enhance collaboration on future global surgery projects
To expose students to opportunities in global surgery
For information about past conferences, click here.