The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) are offering a ACS/ASBrS International Scholarship to surgeons who perform breast cancer surgery in countries other than the U.S. and Canada to improve the quality of breast cancer surgical services. Preference will be given to applicants from developing nations.

All applications for 2018 and supporting documentation must be received by the International Liaison by November 15, 2017.

The scholarship, in the amount of $5,000, provides the scholar with an opportunity to attend the annual meeting of the ASBrS and to visit the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) headquarters in Chicago, IL, to learn about the standards for a breast cancer program/database and the importance of multidisciplinary breast cancer care. The awardee will receive gratis registration to the ASBrS meeting and to one available postgraduate course at the meeting. Assistance will be provided to obtain preferential housing in an economical hotel in the ASBrS meeting host city. Hotel and travel expenses will be the responsibility of the awardee, to be funded from the scholarship award.

Criteria

To qualify for consideration by the selection committee, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Must be graduates of schools of medicine who have completed their surgical training and are practicing attending surgeons
• Must be members in good standing of both the ACS (Associate Fellow or Fellow) and the ASBrS (Active or Associate Member)
• Must be at least 30 years old, but younger than age 50, on the date that the complete application is filed
• Must 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)
• Must show evidence of commitment to high-quality breast cancer surgery, to surgical teaching, and to improving access to breast cancer surgical care in their community
• Must submit a fully completed application form, available on the ACS website at www.facs.org/member-services/scholarships/international/acsasbrs-intl. The application and accompanying materials must be prepared using a computer and submitted in English. Submission of a curriculum vitae only is unacceptable.
• Must submit independently prepared letters of recommendation from three 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 ACS residing in their country. The chair’s or the Fellow’s letter should directly address the applicant’s commitment to high-quality breast surgery, surgical teaching, and improving access to breast surgical care locally. The other two letters of recommendation should be from colleagues who can address the applicant’s breast cancer surgical, clinical, and teaching abilities and practice. Letters of recommendation should be submitted by the individuals making the recommendation.

Other guidelines

Preference will be given to applicants who have not already experienced training or surgical fellowships in North America. The scholarship must be used in the year for which it is designated. It 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 the breast cancer patients in the country of origin.

Unsuccessful applicants may reapply only twice and only by completing and submitting a new application form provided by the College, together with new supporting documentation.

All applicants will be notified of the selection committee’s decision in January 2018. Applicants are urged to submit their completed applications and supporting documents as early as possible to ensure sufficient time for processing. Supporting materials and questions should be addressed to the ACS International Liaison at [email protected] or via fax at 312-202-5021.