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Introduction It is estimated that 28–32% of the global burden of disease can be treated with surgery. Most of this burden is concentrated in low and middle-income countries, underpinning the importance of the topic of global surgery (GS). The multidisciplinary principles of GS are increasingly recognised as being key to modern practice and as such, must be fostered at early stages of medical training. However, it is unclear whether medical students are being exposed to GS. This study aimed to assess the importance of GS and its presence in medical curricula. Methods A novel, 22-item online questionnaire was developed and disseminated to medical students and faculty members using social media platforms. Data collection was conducted by a collaboration of medical students, who acted as regional leads at their institutions. Results 795 medical students and 141 faculty members representing 38/42 (90.4%) of UK medical schools completed the questionnaire. Only 84 students (10.6%) were previously exposed to GS. Most students (66.3%) and faculty (60.6%) agreed that GS should be an integral part of the curriculum. Only 20 students (2.5%) were familiar with what a career in GS means. Conclusion Approximately two-third of students and faculty agree that global surgery should be an integral part of the mandatory curriculum. Findings of this study should underpin further incorporation of GS into curricula, as high-income countries can decisively contribute to achieving the global surgery 2030 targets, by training a new generation of clinicians who are ready for the challenges of the 21st century.

What are the new findings? ►► The COVID-19 pandemic prevented physical innovation formats and virtual innovation strategies such as the virtual hackathon proposed in this article may address this challenge ►► Virtual interdisciplinary collaboration between students and early career professionals can ead to rapid innovations to address urgent unmet clinical needs in times of global emergencies How might it impact on healthcare in the future? ►► Innovation pathways should be augmented with virtual innovation strategies to break down barriers to engagement in healthcare innovation, improve global interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance rapid innovation adoption moving into the future ►► Particular healthcare technologies likely to be positively impacted by this include those in digital health, global health and medical device sectors © 2021 Georg Thieme Verlag All rights reserved