Bridging the Gap: Evaluating the Impact of the UCL International Global Health and Surgery Conference 2025

Introduction: Global health and surgery are crucial in addressing healthcare disparities worldwide, yet these fields remain underrepresented. The UCL International Global Health & Surgery Conference 2025 aimed to bridge this gap by providing insights into careers and advocacy in this field. This study evaluates the conference’s impact on participant knowledge, confidence, and engagement in global health and surgical initiatives. Methods: A two-day online conference was organised and delegates were invited to complete pre- and post- conference questionnaires. Of the participants, 76 completed both. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests were used to determine statistical significance. Results: The conference engaged attendees from 22 countries, representing over 33 institutions. Prior to the conference, only 19.6% reported confidence in discussing global health issues, and 45.1% of medical students perceived inadequate curricula coverage. Primary motivations for attending included learning about global health (95%), career exploration (73%), and understanding healthcare disparities (74%). Post-conference, statistically significant increases (p < 0.05) were observed in all knowledge domains, including disparities, surgical interventions and advocacy. Confidence in discussing global health rose in 89% of attendees and 66% intended to apply insights to advocacy and volunteer work. The conference received an average satisfaction rating of 4.4/5. Conclusion: This conference successfully addressed educational gaps and inspired future global health professionals. Attendees recommended incorporating global health into medical education by utilising case-based learning and offering more volunteering opportunities. Expanding such conferences by focusing on mentorship, career pathways, and networking could enhance their impact, empowering future healthcare leaders to address global health disparities.