Surgery: Inside the Operating Room and Beyond
The operating room is one of the most complex and high-stakes environments in medicine, and this course gives you an inside look at how it works. From foundational anatomy to surgical team communication, you'll engage with real clinical scenarios, explore major surgical specialties, and hear directly from experts in the field. Discover how innovations like robotics and AI are shaping the future of care, and explore where a path in medicine, biomedical engineering, or health care innovation might take you.
Program Dates
Choose the course length that works for you: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility
For students ages 13 and up
Individual Course Fees
$2,195
Step Inside the World of Modern Surgery
What It Means to Be a Surgeon
Define what surgery is and how it fits within modern health care. Explore the training path, daily responsibilities, and human factors that shape life as a surgeon.
How Surgeons Find Their Specialty
Compare surgical specialties across anatomy, procedures, and patient populations to see how different the work can be. Discover how personal interests and skills align with different types of surgical careers.
Anatomy Is the Language of Surgery
Learn how surgeons use precise anatomical terminology and spatial reasoning to navigate the body. Examine how diagnostic imaging and anatomical landmarks inform every decision, from surgical planning to execution.
The Role Communication Plays in Surgical Decisions
Analyze how surgical teams communicate and collaborate across every phase of care, from pre-op to recovery. Understand how surgeons weigh risk, patient values, and clinical data to make high-stakes decisions.
The Technology Transforming the Operating Room
See how robotics, imaging, and AI are helping surgeons work more precisely and effectively in modern surgical care. Evaluate how new technologies are tested, adopted, and balanced against ethical and global considerations.
Propose Your Own Surgical Solution
Apply course knowledge to identify a real clinical challenge and propose a surgical solution. Draw on existing research or develop an original approach in a specialty of your choice.
How You Will Benefit
- Gain an understanding of what surgery is and what it truly takes to become a surgeon.
- Learn from Harvard Medical School faculty and leading experts through real-world stories and firsthand perspectives.
- Explore the full spectrum of surgical specialties and how anatomy, patient needs, and lifestyle shape each path.
- Examine how surgical teams communicate and make high-stakes decisions in real clinical scenarios.
- Understand how robotics, AI, and emerging technologies are transforming the modern operating room.
- Apply your learning in a final capstone project by proposing a surgical solution to a real clinical challenge.
- Earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Medical School, a valuable addition to your college applications.
Four Learning Advantages Designed for You
Final Capstone Project
This online course culminates in a final project that allows you to:
- Select a clinical challenge within a surgical specialty and propose a surgical solution.
- Analyze existing research or develop an original approach to address a real problem in surgical care.
- Demonstrate your understanding of surgery through a well-reasoned final proposal.
College-Level Content
- The program grants you access to enrichment-style learning, including videos, assignments, end-of-module quizzes, and interactive widgets.
- Gain unique insights and perspectives from Harvard Medical School faculty and other leaders shaping the future of medicine.
- Apply your knowledge in a hands-on final capstone project that is designed to help you explore and demonstrate what you’ve learned.
Mentoring
Gain support from an expert mentor who’ll help answer questions and enrich your experience. Here’s what to expect:
- Mentors grade assignments, provide feedback, and guide you in understanding what it takes to pursue a future as a doctor
- Encouragement and direction throughout the course.
- Inspiration, motivation, and confidence to help you succeed.
Flexible Learning
- 100% online learning that works with your schedule.
- Enjoy flexible, engaging video lessons that you can watch at your convenience.
- Multiple medical courses can be taken to maximize your learning experience.
- Approximately 35 hours of total instruction and activities per course, including multimedia, simulations, and curated quizzes and content.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Taught by HMS Faculty
Mark Preston, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Mark A. Preston is a urologic surgeon, the Vice Chair of Urologic Research at Mass General Brigham Urology, a MassGeneral Brigham Endowed Cancer Chair, and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Preston received his Medical Degree from the University of Ottawa in Canada, where he also completed his residency training in Urology. He completed a three-year accredited fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital, including a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health with a concentration in clinical effectiveness. Clinically, Dr. Preston specializes in the surgical management of prostate and bladder cancer, with expertise in robotic surgery. Dr. Preston's research focuses on the epidemiology of prostate cancer risk with an emphasis on predictive biomarkers, prostate cancer screening, and clinical trials in prostate and bladder cancer.
How To Apply:
It’s easy. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Just provide some basic information and tell us why you wish to take this program.
Note: Please submit all application materials in English.
Begin the guided application process. It should take only a few minutes of your time to answer the questions.
Want to Know More?
Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch.
Admissions
Our application process is easy. You can expect a prompt decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you're accepted? Find answers to your questions here.
Scholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.
