The International Relations Committee of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has announced the availability of traveling fellowships to Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Germany, and Japan. The closing date for receipt of completed applications for all three destinations is November 15, 2018.
The traveling fellowships are intended to encourage the international exchange of information concerning surgical science, practice, and education and to establish professional and academic collaborations and friendships. These are exchange fellowships—meaning, for example, a U.S. or Canadian ACS Traveling Fellow will visit Japan for the annual meeting of the Japan Surgical Society, and a Traveling Fellow from Japan will visit the U.S. for the ACS Clinical Congress.
Basic requirements
The traveling fellowships are available to Fellows of the ACS in most of the surgical specialties who meet the following requirements:
- Have a major interest and accomplishment in basic sciences related to surgery
- Hold a full-time academic appointment in the U.S. or Canada
- Are younger than 50 years of age on the date the application is filed
- Are enthusiastic, personable, and possess good communication skills
Activities
The Traveling Fellows are required to spend at least two or three weeks in the countries that they visit and engage in the following activities while abroad:
- Attend and participate in the annual scientific meeting of the host country, as follows:
- ANZ: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Melbourne, Australia (May 11–15, 2020)
- Germany: German Society of Surgery, Berlin (April 21–24, 2020)
- Japan: Japan Surgical Society, Yokohama (April 16–18, 2020)
- Participate in the formal convocation ceremony of that annual meeting
- Attend and provide an address at the local ACS chapter meeting
- Visit at least two medical centers in the country before or after the annual meeting to lecture and to share clinical and scientific expertise with local surgeons
The academic and geographic aspects of the itinerary will be finalized in consultation and mutual agreement between the Fellow and the President or designated representative of the local ACS chapter. The surgery centers to be visited depend to some extent on the special interests and expertise of the Fellow and his or her previously established professional contacts with surgeons in the selected country.
Spouses are welcome to accompany successful applicants. Many opportunities for social interaction in addition to these professional activities will be provided.
Financial support
The College will provide $10,000 U.S. to each successful applicant. The awardees must meet all travel and living expenses as appropriate to the country visited. Senior chapter representatives will consult with the Fellows about the centers to be visited, the local arrangements for each center, and other advice and recommendations about travel schedules. The Fellows are advised to make their own travel arrangements in North America to take advantage of reduced fares and travel packages for travel overseas.
The ACS International Relations Committee will select the three Traveling Fellows after review and evaluation of applications. A personal interview may be requested prior to the final selection. Successful applicants and alternates will be selected and notified in March 2019.
Full requirements and links to the application forms are available on the ACS website. Send the application form plus the additional required documents in the form of a single PDF to scholarships@facs.org.
