International Scholarships for Surgical Education

The American College of Surgeons Division of Education and International Relations Committee are pleased to announce two international scholarships focused on surgical education. These awards, in the amount of $10,000 each, provide young faculty members from countries other than the United States and Canada with the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational opportunities for faculty development and enhancement that will result in acquisition of new knowledge and skills in surgical education and training. This knowledge and these skills will be useful in improving surgical education and training at the scholar’s home institution and country.

The two scholars will participate in the ACS Clinical Congress, including the course Surgical Education: Principles and Practice and other plenary sessions and courses that address surgical education and training across the continuum of professional development. Following the Clinical Congress, the scholars will visit appropriate Level I ACS-Accredited Education Institutes or similarly recognized and established centers with a plan of study and interaction tailored to their particular education-based focus. These centers are typically located in large academic hospitals, which may also allow exposure to clinical areas of interest to the scholars. At the conclusion of the Clinical Congress and their visits to suitable institutions, each scholar will send to the ACS Division of Education and to the International Relations Committee a brief report outlining the outcomes that have been achieved as a result of the scholarship, specifically focusing on achievement of the objectives outlined in their application for the scholarship. Evidence of support of the scholar’s objectives from the leadership at the home institution must be provided by the applicant and will be used as one of the criteria for selection of the scholar. The scholarship will facilitate involvement of the scholar in subsequent collaborative ventures in education and training under the aegis of the ACS Division of Education.

Each scholarship provides a stipend of $10,000, supporting travel and per diem in the U.S., and the cost of courses undertaken at the Clinical Congress and at the center(s) to be visited. Clinical Congress registration will be provided gratis, and assistance in reserving thrifty housing in the Clinical Congress city will also be provided. In 2024, the Clinical Congress city is San Francisco, CA.

Basic Requirements

Applicants must be graduates of schools of medicine who have completed their surgical training.
Applicants must be a fully trained surgeon with a minimum of five years of experience after completion of certification as a surgeon, or equivalent, and no more than 20 years of experience.
Applicants must submit their applications from their intended permanent location. Applications will be accepted for processing only when the applicants have been in surgical practice, teaching, or research for a minimum of one year at their intended permanent location, following completion of all formal training (including fellowships and scholarships).
Applicants must show evidence of commitment to high-quality surgery, surgical teaching, and improving access to surgical care in their community.
Awardees of past ACS International Scholarships are not eligible.
Applicants must submit all required fields. The application and accompanying materials must be submitted in English.
Preference will be given to applicants who have not already experienced training or surgical fellowships in the U.S. or Canada.
Applicants must submit independently prepared letters of recommendation from three (3) of their colleagues. One letter must be from the chair of the department in which they hold a clinical or academic appointment or from a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons residing in their country. The chair’s or the Fellow’s letter is to directly address the applicant’s commitment to high quality surgery, surgical teaching, and improving access to surgical care locally. Letters of recommendation should be submitted by the persons making the recommendations.
The ISSURGED award must be used in the year for which they are designated. They cannot be postponed.
Awardees are expected to provide a written report upon their return home, specifically focusing on the value of the visit to the awardee and the potential beneficial effect to patients in the country.
Unsuccessful applicants may reapply only twice and only by completing and submitting a new application together with new supporting documentation.

The application period has closed.

Questions about application materials for this scholarship should be sent to scholarships@facs.org.

Download the required Biosketch template