POSI - Canadian Fellowship

Thanks to the efforts of our friends from Canada, POSI is proud to announce a collaboration with the Canadian Paediatric Orthopaedic Group (CPOG) to provide clinical fellowship training opportunities to our younger members who are keen to specialize in Paediatric Orthopaedics.

Purpose:

This fellowship provides trainees with a one-year Canadian clinical fellowship program with exposure to a wide range of congenital and acquired paediatric orthopaedic conditions including trauma, hip deformity, orthopaedic manifestations of neuromuscular diseases, sports medicine, limb length discrepancy, gait lab training, spinal deformity, orthopaedic oncology, and foot and ankle deficiencies.

Goals, learning objectives, and curriculum design:

We ask that the fellow have a clear idea of their own educational objectives. Successful candidates are offered the position following a competitive application process with review of their curriculum vitae, their published work, and an online interview. General objectives for clinical fellows are:

1. Development of an advanced knowledge base in paediatric orthopaedics.
2. Development of advanced diagnostic clinical skills and use of diagnostic imaging within paediatric orthopaedics.
3. Development of advanced skills in surgical judgement, planning and techniques.
4. Development of administrative and program management skills.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for a fellowship, the candidate must have demonstrated a high level of clinical performance, a high level of professional ethical behaviour as supported by letters of reference, and a personal interview. Applicants will be required to successfully complete the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) prior to acceptance in the program.

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a member of POSI < 40 years of age
2. Should have completed at least 3 years post-qualification in Orthopaedics (MS / DNB), including one year of exposure to Paediatric Orthopaedics in India by way of fellowships in Paediatric Orthopaedic centres. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed the POSI – Kaye E Wilkins Travelling Fellowship.
3. Must submit two Letters of Recommendation from Academic Supervisor / Head of Department / senior POSI member the candidate has worked with
4. Must pass the English language requirements for the provincial registration (varies from province to province). Applicants will be required to successfully complete the IELTS.
5. Will be required to work on at least one research project leading to publication during their fellowship tenure.
6. Will present a summary of the fellowship report in the POSI newsletter / journal and submit a paper on the research project at the annual POSI conference the following year upon return from the fellowship.
7. POSI / Scholar obligation: Will work with POSI to host a member of the institution they visit within 5 years of returning back to India after completion of their fellowship or invite their host to a POSI annual meeting as a guest or faculty attendee.

Timeline:

• Call for applications will occur 18 months prior to the fellowship start date to leave enough time for interviews, visa paperwork processing, language requirement standards, and other administrative items.
• Applications will be due by 31^st January each year.
• Candidates will be selected using strict marking criteria by 31^st March.
• Valid IELTS scores (varies from province to province) need to be submitted prior to interview, if not already submitted at the time of initial application. Candidates will not be allowed to appear for the interview if valid IELTS scores are not submitted in time.
• The top three candidates will be interviewed via a Zoom call / personal interview by the selection committee and ranked in order of merit by 31^st May.
• Decisions will be communicated to the successful candidate by mid-June and the successful candidate will have to confirm acceptance of the fellowship in writing within 2 weeks, otherwise the fellowship will be awarded to the next candidate on the waiting list
• The fellowship will commence in July / August of the next year
• Once acceptance is confirmed in writing, any withdrawal before the fellowship start date will make the candidate ineligible to apply for any POSI fellowship for a period of 3 years.

Each year, the successful applicant will be awarded a fellowship at any one of the following participating sites in Canada:

1. BC Children's Hospital – Vancouver, BC
2. University of Alberta – Edmonton, Alberta
3. IWK Health Centre – Halifax, NS
4. London Health Sciences Centre – London, ON
5. Shriner's Hospital for Children – Montreal, QC
6. Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa, ON
7. Hospital for Sick Children – Toronto, ON

The Fellow will not be able to choose their centre for fellowship

Salary: As per each participating site's annual stipend.

How to apply:

All applicants should send the following documents electronically to the POSI Secretariat before the due date. Subject line should read 'Application for the POSI – Canadian Fellowship'

• CV and recent photo
• List of publications and presentations related to Paediatric Orthopaedics.
• Postgraduate degree certificate and Medical Council Registration certificate
• Certificate of completion of one year fellowship training in Paediatric Orthopaedics in India.
• POSI-Kaye E Wilkins Travelling Fellowship certificate (if available)
• Personal statement (upto 1000 words) discussing your background & experiences that have led to an interest in paediatric orthopaedics and how this fellowship would benefit you
• Two Letters of Recommendation from Academic Supervisor / Head of Department / senior POSI member the candidate has worked with
• IELTS scores valid for a period of 2 years

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
Website : www.posi.in