The value of surgical research is increasingly recognised by undergraduate medical students interested in pursuing a surgical career. This article describes how an undergraduate medical student from Monash University built upon his surgical research experience from the Eastern Health Surgical Research Group in Australia, by undertaking a 9-week research elective at the Johns Hopkins Center of Surgery Trials and Outcomes Research. Practical issues encountered, such as visa and housing, are outlined. Differing attitudes and trends in surgical research among Australian and American medical students, means of assessing surgical research productivity and the benefits of surgical research are discussed. Surgical research should be encouraged and supported in young trainee surgeons; a short-term surgical research elective can be productive provided the student is focused and realistic about expectations.