Want to Do Global Surgery? Start Preparing Now. #482

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show! A first year general surgery resident slid into my DMs after our previous episode on how GHANA MADE ME BETTER. She’d been following the show for almost 10 years, and she had one question: “How can I best start preparing for global surgery, especially in places like Ghana?” That question deserved more than a simple reply. It deserved an entire episode. So I’m sharing what I’ve learned from 14 years of humanitarian surgical work at KNUST University Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, alongside International Healthcare Volunteers. **You’ll hear:** → Why global surgery is the truest test of your surgical foundation → The #1 mistake residents make when they arrive (and why it destroys everything) → How to start preparing RIGHT NOW. Not in fellowship, not as an attending, NOW → What to look for in a global surgery program (and the red flags to avoid) → What your first trip will actually look like. The OR, the clinical experience, and the emotional reality → What 14 years of showing up consistently has taught me about this work   For general surgery residents, all surgical specialty residents, medical students, and any physician who has ever thought about doing meaningful work beyond their hospital walls.   "Global surgery is not a break from your training. It IS your training in its purest form." Find us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@docsoutsidetheboxpodcast **FREE DOWNLOAD:** First-Gen Doctor Blueprint — Everything we wish someone had told us about finances, career planning, and building a life in medicine. Visit: https://darkos.lpages.co/first-gen-physicians/ **Have a question for us?** - Send us a Voice Message: https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidethebox - Text us: 833-230-2860 - DM us on Instagram: @docsoutsidethebox - Email: team@drniidarko.com **ABOUT DOCS OUTSIDE THE BOX:** Dr. Nii is a General Surgeon. Dr. Renee is an OB/GYN. We are first-generation Ghanaian and Haitian physicians who paid off $662,000 in student loan debt in 3 years, built a locum tenens agency, and navigated every major medical career decision without a family blueprint. We created this podcast for first-generation doctors — physicians who are the first in their families and lack the inherited knowledge about money, contracts, career strategy, and the unwritten rules of medicine that many of their colleagues learned growing up. Real conversations for first-gen doctors. Website: https://drniidarko.com/ **DISCLAIMER:** Dr. Nii and Dr. Renee are physicians, not financial advisors or attorneys. Content shared in this podcast reflects personal experience and should not be considered financial, legal, or medical advice. Please consult qualified professionals before making financial or career decisions. © 2026 Docs Outside the Box. All rights reserved.