This lecture will provide background information relating to the preparation of medical students for surgery residency training and describe relevant conceptual frameworks that need to form the basis of educational programs and interventions to help medical students prepare for this transition. A number of national curricula and programs that have been developed in the US will then be mentioned and the highly individualized interventions of mentoring and coaching outlined. Strategies to specifically address the transition between medical school and surgery residency training will be addressed next and effective communication among educators across this transition will be emphasized. Finally, key programs of the American College of Surgeons Division of Education that are aimed at preparing medical students for surgery residency training will be highlighted. The topics and content addressed during this lecture may be readily applied at institutions across the globe.