Globalization Committee Update

Lawrence G. Lenke, MD
Globalization Committee Chair

The Globalization Committee (GC) is very proud to announce a unique educational program geared for young, aspiring spinal deformity surgeons, the SRS Asia Pacific Spinal Deformity Scholarship Program.  With funding provided by Depuy-Synthes Spine,  this unique SRS program will provide two young Spinal Deformity surgeons with an unparalleled opportunity to visit two-to-three experienced Spinal Deformity Centers during a year-long intensive program to optimize their education, knowledge, clinical research acumen and particularly, technical skills in the field. 

Two young (<5 years into practice) spinal surgeons will be selected from a country in the Asia-Pacific (A-P) region. Preference will be given to current SRS Candidate Members, but this will not be mandatory for application (although it will be assumed that SRS Candidate Membership will occur as a result of the program).  Applicants for this prestigious program will be sought out and recommended by SRS country representatives in the A-P region countries where SRS members exist (N=12 current countries), as well as by the two A-P Regional Liaisons Hee-Kit Wong, MD and Noriaki Kawakami, MD, DMSc.  Applicants will be required to submit an application form and provide two letters of reference from SRS members familiar with their work. They will be required to spend an entire year traveling on this program to two or three different centers worldwide and thus must consider this prior to applying.

Any active SRS member from any country can nominate his/her center as a potential host center for these A-P scholarship recipients. They must be able to host the recipient for a four-to-six month period of intensive experience in spinal deformity surgery. A call for applications for this program will be sent to all active SRS members and an application form, which will include the number of attending surgeons participating, overall annual spinal deformity surgical volume, local educational conferences available to the recipient, distinction between observation vs. ability to assist in surgery, will be listed among other criteria. Review and selection of the potential host centers for this program will be conducted by the eight Regional Liaisons (A-P, Europe, Latin America, Africa/Middle East) along with the GC chair. Preference will be given to centers with proven educational training programs comprised of experienced SRS members (Active and Candidate.)    Funds will be available to defray the travel, housing and living costs for the program.

Chair: Lawrence G. Lenke, MD Committee: Noiaki Kawakami, MD, DMSc; Hee-Kit Wong, MD; David S. Marks, FRCS; Francisco Sanchez Perez-Grueso, MD; Carlos A. Tello, MD; Osmar Avanzi, MD; Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, MD; Robert Dunn, FCS (SA) Orth