
The Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) Program
There are only three female surgeons for every 1 million people in low-income countries.
The Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program is a partnership between ReSurge International and SkinCeuticals, a L’Oreal company, to advance first generation women reconstructive surgeons in underserved parts of the world.
Together, we created the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program to support women through surgical training, leadership development, and mentorship networking.

Less than 1/3 of surgeons
globally are female

Women only make up 7% of the surgical workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa

5 billion people worldwide lack access to surgical care
Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Matolase Mtonga, 1987 - 2021
The late Dr. Matolase Mtonga of the PWRS program was on track to become Zambia's first woman reconstructive surgeon. In honor of her perseverance, leadership, and aspirations for a world where no one suffered needlessly due to a lack of access to reconstructive surgical care, ReSurge and SkinCeuticals have established an annual scholarship in her name. The Matolase Mtonga Scholarship for Women in Reconstructive Surgery will be awarded annually to one woman from a low- or middle-income country who is training in reconstructive surgery.

The Application for the 2022/23 Matolase Mtonga Scholarship closed on April 2, 2022. The 2023/24 application will post in the Spring of 2023.