International Scholars Program Research Articles

A Fulbright International Exchange to Expand the Physician Assistant/Associate Curriculum in Geriatrics.

The international growth of the physician assistant/associate (PA) profession provides opportunities for global exchange that PA faculty and clinicians should seek out and cultivate. Physician assistant/associate programs can benefit from the experiences and expertise of faculty educators from different backgrounds and countries. The Fulbright International Scholars Program is a well-established and recognized organization dedicated to supporting international exchange in higher education. This study describes the experience of an American PA who received a Fulbright Specialist Program award that provided the opportunity to collaborate with a Dutch PA program on improvement of their geriatric medicine didactic curriculum.

Inside the TMS Young Leaders International Scholar Program

Inside the TMS Young Leaders International Scholar Program

Recurrent posterior fossa group A (PFA) ependymoma in a young child with constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD).

Recurrent posterior fossa group A (PFA) ependymoma in a young child with constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD).

International Scholar Program Offers a World of Experience

International Scholar Program Offers a World of Experience

The Society of Vascular Surgery International Scholars Program: The First Decade.

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is a not-for-profit medical society, whose goal is to further advance in vascular health on a global scale. With its 10th anniversary in sight, we were interested in analyzing the impact of a specific scholarship given under the SVS, the International Scholars Program. Our goal was to examine the awardees' characteristics and academic productivity. We measured the number of peer-reviewed articles, before and after the program, using PubMed® and Google Scholar® (2008-2018) of the scholarship recipients. Editorials, book chapters, letter to editor, and oral/poster presentations were excluded. A survey was sent out to assess the awardees' current status. The average number of applicants/year was 15.4 (standard deviation ± 6.69), with 17.5% females and a mean age of 37 ± 3.37 years, with 5.6 ± 2.30 years status post vascular fellowship. Brazil had the highest number of recipients (n = 5; 18.5%) followed by China (n = 4; 14.8%). No significant difference was noted between each country in terms of publications (P = .45), nor with after the SVS scholarship program compared to before (P = .14, 1.84 vs 2.76). The survey concluded 33% had attended a subsequent SVS meeting after the program, with 27% having presented their research (n = 15). The recipients noted the program helped adopt new practices in clinical management (n = 13, 87%), learn new procedures (n = 10, 67%), gain local/regional leadership (n = 9, 60%), and improve technical skills (n = 8, 53%). The most visited clinical sites were Massachusetts General Hospital and Mayo Clinic (n = 4, 27%). The program was given a 9.1/10 rating. The program was successful in maintaining academic productivity by continuing to publish research even after the scholarship, while teaching recipients skills to further improve their career goals. The award remains a competitive process that selects highly skilled recipients and still has much growth and progress to look forward to over the next decade.

Results from Monsanto's Beachell–Borlaug International Scholars Program

Core Ideas The Scholars Program enhanced interaction of professors and scientists between developed and developing/transition countries. The Scholars Program supported 89 Ph.D. students in wheat and rice breeding from 30 different countries. The Scholars Program required training in developed as well as developing or transition countries. The 40‐hour leadership training course was highly regarded. Monsanto's Beachell–Borlaug International Scholars Program (MBBISP) is named after the greatest wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) breeders of the 20th century. Monsanto, through the MBBISP, invested $13 million over an 8‐year period for training rice and wheat breeders from around the world. The judging panel for MBBISP selected 89 scholars from 432 applicants. The selected scholars were from 30 different countries. Scholars selected included 35 women and 54 men, 37 in rice breeding and 52 in wheat breeding. Currently 23 scholars are still completing their Ph.D. programs (as of 2018). This past year, Monsanto established the “Ted Crosbie MBBISP Impact Award” to begin recognizing notable contributions by a scholar, not only in wheat and rice breeding, but also in other crops. Scholar impact is just beginning to be recognized since the earliest graduates have been employed for less than 6 years. To be eligible for this award, scholars must have received their Ph.D. Bhoja Basnet, who is in charge of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center's (CIMMYT's) hybrid wheat breeding program, was selected to receive the Ted Crosbie MBBISP Impact Award for 2017. Employment of scholars post Ph.D. is reviewed.

A Review of the AAOS International Scholars Program after 14 Years: Professional Development and Education of the Recipients

Introduction: The AAOS International Scholars Program was launched in 2002 with the goal of enhancing the knowledge and skills of orthopaedic surgeons in underserved regions. The goals of this study were to 1) characterize the professional and practice profile of scholarship recipients, 2) assess the perceived impact of this short term educational experience on their clinical practice, 3) if/how the knowledge and skills have been disseminated to students and/or colleagues, and 4) assess career development in a subset of scholarship recipients. Method: The AAOS international scholar database was accessed to review the scholarship applications and all available follow-up questionnaires for 103 scholarship recipients. Results: Respondents generally practiced in an academic institution, incorporated the knowledge and skills learned during the short term educational experience in their practices, and introduced the information acquired to medical students, residents, and colleagues alike. In general, the recipients demonstrated a substantial progress in their career development. Conclusions: Our impression is that this short term educational experience was successful in imparting new knowledge and skills to the scholarship recipients who then shared these experiences with their peers and trainees. Further study will be required to understand the impact of this program on the long-term professional development of the recipients and enhanced health care of the region.

The POSNA-COUR International Scholar Program. Results of the First 7 Years.

The Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA)-Children's Orthopedics in Underserved Regions (COUR) International Scholar Program was initiated in 2007 to provide educational opportunities for emerging leaders who treat children with orthopaedic conditions in resource-challenged environments worldwide. Financial support is available each year for 4 to 6 orthopaedic surgeons to attend either the POSNA Annual Meeting or the International Pediatric Orthopedic Symposium. The scholars are also encouraged to visit selected centers for observerships during their trip. Since 2007 there have been 41 international scholars who have participated in the program. We wished to assess the impact of the program and to obtain feedback to improve the experience for future participants. A 23-question web-based survey was created and sent to 38 past scholars from 22 countries who have participated in the program by July 2013. The responses were gathered online and the data were analyzed for the 24 (62%) respondents from 18 countries who completed the survey. Of the respondents, 16/24 (66%) reported that their current practice is comprised of at least 75% pediatrics. Twelve of 24 (52%) were fellowship trained in pediatric orthopaedics, typically outside of North America. All scholars found the meeting they attended to be very useful and have subsequently made changes to their clinical practice. Nineteen of 24 (82%) did a premeeting or postmeeting observership. Twenty-two of 24 (92%) participants have remained in contact with POSNA members they met at the meeting, with 86% of respondents stating that they have subsequently consulted POSNA members on management of patients. Sixty-two percent of the scholars had a POSNA member visit them following the scholarship and 29% have since returned to visit POSNA members for further clinical observerships. Twenty-one of 24 (91%) have had the opportunity to share the knowledge they gained with others in their region through lectures, surgical demonstrations, and/or clinical training. A common response from the scholars was that the scholarship program was a truly transformative life experience that provided them with an opportunity to receive the highest quality of professional education. The main challenges that these scholars report are lack of available fellowship/subspecialty training in their region, patients' inability to pay, and excessive physician workload. All of the respondents expressed interest in arranging a POSNA cosponsored regional meeting. Since 2007, the POSNA-COUR international scholar program has been a fruitful resource for orthopaedists practicing in resource-challenged environments worldwide. It has provided unique training for the scholars and has further enabled them to teach others in their region. The program has thus far succeeded in fostering lasting relationships that have led to continued educational exchanges. Level IV-case series.

International Scholar Program Stretches Boundaries of Professional Development

International Scholar Program Stretches Boundaries of Professional Development

Gaining a Global Perspective through the TMS Young Leader International Scholar Program

Gaining a Global Perspective through the TMS Young Leader International Scholar Program

A World of Possibilities: A Report on the TMS Young Leader International Scholar Program

A World of Possibilities: A Report on the TMS Young Leader International Scholar Program

An International Study Opportunity for Low- and Moderate-Income Students

The International Scholars Program (ISP) at Philadelphia University, a collaborative effort between a college success program and an honors program, was designed to introduce low and moderate income students to international study. Faculty and staff nominated students based on academics and leadership potential to participate in this program which included a semester of pre-departure preparation, ten-day travel to nonEuropean countries, and post-travel related activities. Staff conducted focus groups to evaluate students’ ISP experience. Themes about civic responsibility, environmental conservation, and nationalism emerged. In addition, students reported that this was a life change opportunity that had a significant impact in their self-confidence and ability to learn interdependence.

Lorenzo Tomatis 1929–2007

Lorenzo Tomatis 1929–2007

Tom Cech: new life beyond the RNA world.

Tom Cech: new life beyond the RNA world.