YI03.02 How to Apply for International Fellowship?

Abstract

International fellowship to pursue further training is an important part of career development for junior clinicians and investigators. International fellowship will not only increase the clinical and/or research skill of the fellow, it also offers an important opportunity to establish interaction network with senior investigators and peer young investigators across the world. When applying for international fellowship, several aspects should be considered: (1) choosing the field for further training, (2) application procedure, and (3) funding availability. The choice of field for further training will largely determine the future career of the candidate and should be in line with one’s scientific or career passion and clinical/research interest. Prior experience with a role model and mentorship during earlier formative years usually has great influence on one’s decision to pursue career choice. Fellowship training can be limited to clinical only, research only or combined clinical and research training; the latter for a candidate who wishes to pursue clinician-scientist career. Once a decision to pursue further training is made, the candidate should look for fellowship opportunities. This is often through discussion with local mentors or colleagues with prior international fellowship experience, or via familiarity with potential mentors who have published extensively in the area of candidate’s interest or have lectured at international meetings. On-line searches for institutions with established fellowship program may also be useful, but many training programs may not be openly advertised, thus personal approaches and recommendations are often more fruitful. Writing an application letter that demonstrates strong background, qualification, prior track record, commitment and clear post-fellowship career pathway are key elements to win an opportunity for further interview. Availability of secured partial/full funding from local Institution or independent funding agency is a great asset for an application. While one year fellowship that involves only clinical training may be sufficient, training that involves laboratory research will usually require a minimum of 2 years tenure, as the latter usually requires more time to accomplish specific research projects. In such case, preliminary data obtained during first fellowship year may greatly contribute to applications for fellowship offered by international societies (e.g., IASLC, ASCO, AACR) or funding agencies. Training, career development, fellowship fund