Our Story
Origins
The GlobalSurgBox is a confluence of several ideas surrounding surgical simulation and global health.
A group of residents from UPenn developed the Heart Box to meet the needs of trainees at home. A resident from UVA used a tackle box stuffed with surgical supplies as a portable simulation station. And a fellow at CU spent several years building partnerships with surgical trainees around the world and learning about the need for simulation in low and middle income countries. When the group came together in 2021, these ideas morphed into the GlobalSurgBox.
Our Founders
Jason Han MD &
John Kelly MD
In 2017, Jason Han and John Kelly met as two junior cardiac surgery residents at Penn interested in creating a low-cost simulator to encourage trainees to practice at home. Using a shoebox, wooden board, some rubber bands and nails, Heart Box was born. Allie Sperry, another Penn cardiac surgery resident, also joined the team.
Emily Downs MD
Emily Downs was a cardiothoracic resident at UVA when she put together a tacklebox containing all her surgical tools, and created a valve simulator using a coffee can.
Yihan Lin MD MPH
Yihan Lin is a CT fellow from Colorado working in global health equity and surgical disparities. She has been working in Rwanda since 2015 and runs a humanitarian workshop preparing surgery residents to work in austere settings. Emily brought her tackle box to work one day, and Yihan envisioned how this type of portable kit could be useful to her colleagues in Rwanda and Kenya. After exploring the literature about surgical simulation, they found the Heart Box creators and a collaboration began.a
Our Founders
Jason Han MD & John Kelly MD
Jason Han MD
&
John Kelly MD
In 2017, Jason Han and John Kelly met as two junior cardiac surgery residents at Penn interested in creating a low-cost simulator to encourage trainees to practice at home. Using just a wooden board, some rubber bands and nails, Heart Box 1.0 was born. In the following years, the team moved Heart Box 2.0 into a shoebox, and incorporated balloons and hair ties into the setup to expand the potential array of drills. Allie Sperry, Penn Med student and incoming cardiac surgery resident, joined the team.
Emily Downs MD
Emily Downs was a cardiothoracic resident at UVA when she put together a tacklebox containing all her surgical tools, and created a valve simulator using a coffee can.
Emily Downs MD
Emily Downs was a cardiothoracic resident at UVA when she put together a tacklebox containing all her surgical tools, and created a valve simulator using a coffee can.
Yihan Lin MD
Yihan Lin is a CT fellow from Colorado working in global health equity and surgical disparities. She has been working in Rwanda since 2012 and runs a humanitarian workshop preparing surgery residents to work in austere settings. Emily brought her tackle box to work one day, and Yihan envisioned how this type of portable kit could be useful to her colleagues in Rwanda and Kenya. After exploring the literature about surgical simulation, they found the Heart Box creators and a collaboration began.
Yihan Lin MD
Yihan Lin is a CT fellow from Colorado working in global health equity and surgical disparities. She has been working in Rwanda since 2012 and runs a humanitarian workshop preparing surgery residents to work in austere settings. Emily brought her tackle box to work one day, and Yihan envisioned how this type of portable kit could be useful to her colleagues in Rwanda and Kenya. After exploring the literature about surgical simulation, they found the Heart Box creators and a collaboration began.
International Work
Make One Locally, Give One Globally
Surgery Interest Groups at medical schools in the United States host events to make two GlobalSurgBox kits, one for themselves and one that is donated to another trainee abroad.
Intern Training Curriculum
Surgical educators work with educators in Rwanda to develop surgical training curriculum for medical interns using the GlobalSurgBox as a simulation tool.
Medical Student Competitions
Some friendly (but serious) competition among Rwandan medical students using the GlobalSurgBox.
Our Sponsors & Collaborators
Dr. Jay Pal
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
University of Global Health Equity
Global Surgery Student Alliance
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Dr. Jay Pal
Cardiothoracic Surgeon