The American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Division of Education and the International Relations Committee have announced three international scholarships focused on surgical education. All application materials and supporting documents are due no later than March 1, 2018, for attendance at Clinical Congress 2018, October 21−25 in Boston, MA.
These awards will offer faculty members from countries other than the U. S. and Canada the opportunity to participate in a variety of faculty development activities to obtain new knowledge and skills in surgical education and training, which will be useful in improving surgical education and training in the scholar’s home institution and country.
The scholars will participate in the annual ACS Clinical Congress, including the Surgical Education: Principles and Practice course, as well as other plenary sessions and courses that address surgical education and training across the continuum of professional development. This continuum includes the needs of practicing surgeons throughout their entire careers, as well as the needs of residents, medical students, and other members of the surgical team.
Following the Clinical Congress, each scholar will visit two Level I ACS-accredited Education Institutes selected in advance based on the scholars’ interest areas in surgical education and training. At the conclusion of the Clinical Congress and his or her visits to the ACS-accredited Education Institutes, each scholar will send to the International Relations Committee and to the Division of Education 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 scholarship application. The scholarships will facilitate the scholars’ involvement 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 North America, and the cost of courses undertaken at the Clinical Congress and at the ACS-accredited Education Institutes to be visited. Clinical Congress registration and fees for attendance at the Surgical Education: Principles and Practice course will be provided gratis. Assistance will be offered to reserve affordable housing in the Clinical Congress host city.
Requirements
Applicants must provide documentation of prior experience in surgical education and training, such as involvement in the development and evaluation of education modules, use of novel teaching and assessment strategies, or curriculum design. In addition, applicants must submit a one-paragraph description of their education philosophies, a list of specific educational goals and objectives for their visits, and evidence of support of these goals and objectives from the leadership at their home institutions. These documents will be reviewed by the Division of Education as part of the selection process. At least five years of experience is required beyond completion of all training and fellowships. Scholarships must be used in the year awarded; they may not be postponed.
Full scholarship requirements for this program may be reviewed on the ACS website. The application for the scholarship can be accessed at the bottom of the requirements page. Questions should be directed to the ACS International Liaison at kearly@facs.org.
