Overview

Through the generosity of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, TSF offers these travel scholarships of $2,500 for qualified cardiothoracic surgery residents and early-career cardiothoracic surgeons who are interested in participating in global surgical outreach.

The TSF International Medical Volunteer Scholarship provides a 1-2 week volunteer opportunity for a cardiothoracic medical volunteer to learn from an experienced cardiothoracic surgeon volunteer leader. International Medical Volunteer Scholars will choose from TSF affiliated cardiac surgical trips, and serve as an active member of the volunteer team, assisting with surgery, screening, and medical education for underserved patients. Examples of recent international TSF volunteer opportunities include humanitarian outreach work in Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, and Uganda.

Purpose

The TSF International Medical Volunteer Scholarships aim to provide a global cardiothoracic surgery volunteer experience for cardiothoracic surgery residents or early-career surgeons (within seven years of completion of CT surgery residency) who wish to gain experience in surgical outreach efforts.

The humanitarian outreach trips engage volunteers in work with underserved patients in low and middle-income countries under the mentorship of an experienced surgeon volunteer. These trips are designed to educate, screen and/or treat underserved populations to reduce the global burden of heart valve disease, and may include other programs that advance health care and address underserved populations.

Eligibility

a) A cardiothoracic surgeon who has completed a program leading to certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery or its equivalent in a country outside of the United States, and who is within seven years of completion of CT surgery residency, or;

b) A cardiothoracic surgery resident enrolled in an ACGME-accredited cardiothoracic surgery residency fellowship program who has not yet completed their training.

c) A general surgery resident who is enrolled in an ACGME-accredited general surgery residency program and has not yet completed their training, and who has shown a demonstrated interest in cardiothoracic surgery.

Required Application Materials

• Biographical Information
• Short Answer Questions
• Applicant's Curriculum Vitae or NIH Biosketch
• One (1) Letter of Recommendation*

*If the applicant is a resident, the letter of recommendation must come from the applicant’s program director. The program director must confirm that the resident has permission to participate as an international medical volunteer, which would remove them from their residency program for up to two weeks.

Timeline

Application Open: January 15, 2025
Application Deadline: March 15, 2025
Applicants Notified of Award or Regrets: The notification dates will be determined soon. Please check back for updates

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