The John D. Corson Guest Scholarship

The American College of Surgeons (ACS), through the Division of Member Services and the International Relations Committee, select annual travel awards for surgeons outside the United States and Canada. The Scholarship, provided by Mrs. Christina Hewes Corson, in honor of her husband, John Duncan Corson MBChB, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Edin), FACS, an academic vascular surgeon and a 1968 graduate from the University of Edinburgh School of Medicine, would like to provide an educational travel opportunity for academic Vascular and Cardio-thoracic surgeons.

A single John Duncan Corson Guest Scholarship will be awarded each year, in the amount of up to $10,000, to provide an academic Vascular or Cardio-thoracic surgeon residing in The United Kingdom (UK) or The Republic of Ireland (ROI) with the opportunity to attend and participate fully in the educational activities of the ACS annual Clinical Congress and additionally to travel to academic medical institutions in the USA to share knowledge of best practices and current surgical research. The Scholarship will alternate each year between Vascular and Cardio-thoracic surgery specialties.

Eligibility

A candidate selected should meet the following qualifications:

is less than 40 years of age at the time the completed application is submitted
resides in the UK or ROI and is a member in good standing of the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK or ROI
holds a full-time academic or teaching appointment in the field of either Vascular or Cardio-thoracic surgery
early careerists are deemed more suitable than those serving in senior academic appointments

The annual award recipient will be expected to write a 500-word summary of their award experience, which the ACS will publish on its website and in its journal.

Applicants are not required to be ACS members.

Basic Requirements

Applicants must submit a fully completed application form provided by ACS on its website.
Submission of a curriculum vitae only is not sufficient.
Applicants must provide a list of all their publications and must submit, in addition, three complete publications (reprints or manuscripts) of their choice from that list.
Applicants must have submitted independently prepared letters of recommendation by three of their colleagues on their behalf.
One letter must be from the department chair in which they hold an academic appointment. The chair's letter includes a specific statement detailing the nature and extent of the teaching and other academic involvement of the applicant. Each letter of recommendation should be submitted by the person making the recommendation.
The guest scholarship must be used in the year for which it is designated. It cannot be postponed.
An unsuccessful applicant may reapply twice for a total of three applications, and only by completing and submitting a new application together with new supporting documentation. A successful applicant may not reapply.

The open call for applications is in January with a deadline on March 15. The selection of the surgeon will be by mutual agreement between the ACS Division of Member Services and the International Relations Committee.

Apply online

Questions may be directed to the ACS Scholarships Administrator at 312-202-5281or by email to scholarships@facs.org.