The Dr. Benjamin Joseph & Dr. Ashok Johari Visiting Scholar Award

Purpose:

This award provides a mid-level / senior member of POSI between 40 to 55 years of age an opportunity to visit a centre in Canada or USA for a period of two weeks in an Observer capacity. The visit can be timed around the annual COA / POSNA / IPOS meetings to make it more useful to the visiting scholar.

Goals, learning objectives, and curriculum design:

Through this visiting scholar award, it is the endeavour of POSI to encourage, support, and develop educational opportunities for mid-level / senior POSI members. Observer education initiatives and the exchange of knowledge with our colleagues and global community partners enrich research, patient care activities, and community service. Observers are health professionals who have been granted permission to participate in an informal shadowing experience that enables participants to watch procedures and surgeries, and attend clinics, patient rounds, and teaching conferences.

Eligibility:

Candidates must meet ALL of the following criteria:

1. Mid-career to senior level Orthopaedic surgeon > 40 but < 55 years of age at the time of application for the scholarship
2. Life Member of POSI for > 10 years
3. Have presented a minimum of 10 papers related to Paediatric Orthopaedics at POSI annual conferences or another international orthopaedic meetings, to demonstrate a strong commitment to pediatric orthopaedic academia
4. Have published at least 10 articles pertaining to Paediatric Orthopaedics in peer-reviewed PubMed indexed journals
5. Will agree to present a summary of the scholarship report in POSI newsletter / Journal within one month of completing the observership.
6. May need to pass the English language requirements (TOEFL or IELTS) for the provincial / state registration. This varies from province to province/state to state depending on the year of the application; please note this criterion is subject to change based on the individual institution requirements.

Successful candidates will be selected by the POSI Foreign Fellowship Committee using strict marking criteria to prevent any bias in the selection of the fellows.

Funding:

• A spend-down endowment (up to 100,000 INR) will be awarded by POSI to each traveling fellow as support towards travel expenses.
• The host institution may provide support for local accommodation, licensing and registration.
• All other expenses will be borne by the visiting fellow.
• POSI obligation: Each visiting scholar should anticipate hosting a member from the North American Institution they visit back to their home institution in India (including provisions of accommodation and registration incidentals). This will encourage a two-way relationship between North American and Indian centres, so that fellows from Canada / USA can also visit India reciprocally for 1-2 weeks.

Timeline:

• Applications will be solicited from POSI Members through email / website and will be due by 31^st January
• Candidates will be selected using strict marking criteria by 31^st March.
• The top three candidates may be interviewed via a Zoom conference call by the selection committee and ranked in order of merit
• Decisions will be communicated to the successful candidate by 31^st May
• The successful candidate will have to confirm acceptance of the fellowship in writing within 2 weeks, otherwise the scholarship will be withdrawn and awarded to the next candidate on the list
• The observership should be completed anytime between January to December of the following year. Any fellowship not availed of by the cut-off date will have deemed to have lapsed and the award will be withdrawn.
• It will be the responsibility of the selected candidate to liaise with the host centre to set up an itinerary and complete all necessary formalities & permissions. POSI will assist the candidate in the same.

How to apply:

All applicants should send the following documentation electronically to the POSI Secretariat before the due date:

1. CV – highlighting details of presentations at POSI annual conferences / international orthopaedic meetings, and publications related to Paediatric Orthopaedics in peer-reviewed journals
2. Copy of Orthopaedic degree certificate and Medical Council Registration certificate
3. Photo & passport copy
4. Personal statement (upto 1000 words) discussing your background & experiences and how this fellowship would benefit you
5. Level of commitment to the fellowship (must be 100% confirmed upon acceptance of the fellowship)
6. TOEFL/IELTS scores valid for a period of 2 years (if required)

Address for correspondence:

POSI Secretariat
Dr. Viraj Shingade
Children Orthopaedic Care Institute,
Pravira Hospital, Near Haldiram Bldg,
Ajni Square, Wardha Road,
Nagpur - 440015. Maharashtra, India
Mob : +91 9370287673
Email : posisecretary23@gmail.com