Programs to Advance Gender & Ethnic Diversity
Through a combination of longitudinal mentorship, hands-on workshops, focus scholarships, and published works, we offer comprehensive exposure to various surgical and medical domains, inspiring and empowering marginalized students to foster a healthcare workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community it serves.
This work is proven to improve health outcomes and save lives.
The Next Surgeon
A 7-week initiative for minority high school students. Our goal is to inspire students to envision themselves as future surgeons through experiential learning and diverse mentorship, fostering confidence and motivation for careers in surgery.
Program components:
Mentorship sessions
Hands-on surgical simulation
Aspirational conference
Closing dinner
Certificate upon completion
For students looking to apply, please apply via Toronto Community Housing.
The Next WOMAN Surgeon
A 5-week initiative designed to address the gender gap in cardiac surgery by empowering women high school students to explore careers in our field. We offer cardiac surgery simulations, mentorship from women physicians, and career counseling.
Program components:
Mentorship sessions
Coronary anastomosis simulation
CPR simulation
ER & Trauma Bay tour
Introduction to research
Certificate upon completion
For students looking to apply, please apply through the Havergal College.
Surgeons of Tomorrow
St. Michael’s Hospital and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine have partnered with Howard University—one of the most distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—to offer Howard medical students hands-on clinical exposure and immersive research experience in cardiac surgery.
This program includes a 2-week stay in Toronto, where students will have the opportunity to shadow surgeons in the operating room, engage in research projects, and contribute to publications.
For students looking to apply, please apply through Howard University.
Research Scholarships
Operation Heart offers research scholarships for high school and medical students to engage in health-related research, providing early exposure to the field and fostering their interest in medical careers.
Types of research scholarships:
High school Research Scholarships
Medical Student Research Scholarships for Black & Indigenous Canadian Medical Students
Publications
All programs under Operation Heart include embedded research components to evaluate their impact on participants' interest in pursuing medicine or surgery.
Proudly Partnering With:
St. Michael’s Hospital
Toronto Community Housing
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Edwards Lifesciences Inc.
Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson Company