VATS Fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery
- Leadership
Summary
-
Grant:
€10,000
- Location:
Odense University Hospital, Denmark
- Duration:
3 months
- Start Date:
From January 2025
Fellowship Overview
This three month Fellowship will take place at the Odense University Hospital – a relatively large European centre for lung cancer surgery and host to several, annual international VATS lobectomy symposia several times annually.
Trainees will be involved with daily hands-on experience in a stepwise training process that will eventually allow them to safely perform VATS lobectomy in patients undergoing resection for early-stage lung cancer. The Fellowship will assist in the management of patients with special focus in minimal invasive thoracic surgery.
The successful Fellows will participate in daily morning departmental sessions in which the entire surgical staff discuss the surgical patients followed by rounds. Supervising staff and surgical colleagues will adapt communication in English, where needed.
Syllabus
Section 1 aspects of the EBCTS Syllabus covering principles of general thoracic surgery and critical care.
Section 2 aspects of the EBCTS Syllabus related to the Generality of Surgery, Critical Care and Thoracic Surgery will be covered.
The academic part of the Fellowship will be delivered via seminars, lectures and individual lessons (provided by the staff surgeons and international faculty) for a continuing change in topics covering all aspects of thoracic surgery such as, but not limited to:
- Lung Cancer Screening
- Role of Sub-Lobar Resection Stage I NSCLC
- Pancoast Tumor Management
- Tracheal Stenosis
- Tracheal Esophageal Fistula
- Carinal Resection and Reconstruction
- VATS for Lung Cancer – Incision Choice and Dissection Techniques
- Minimally Invasive Lung Surgery
- LN Dissection For NSCLC
- Management of Complications of Lung Resections
- Management single station N2 NSCLC
- Management Strategies for Thymic Tumors
- Minimally Invasive Thymectomy
- Management of Refractory Empyema
- Management of Bronchopleural fistulas
- Chest Wall Reconstruction
Learning Objectives
- Learn the contemporary indications for VATS lobectomy in the generality of the specialty
- Learn to use all the invasive and non-invasive tools for a safe delivery of VATS lobectomy
- Develop organisational skills, leadership management and integrate all hospital and health care individual resources for the benefit of the patient and community
- Understand the need for specific protocols development and use in the field of cardiovascular surgery
Specific Learning Objectives
- Obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver a VATS lobectomy in patients treated for early-stage lung cancer.
- Obtain the knowledge and clinical judgment necessary to obtain the EBCTS membership and Fellowship.
Funding
An award of up to €10,000 for the three month placement will be granted to cover the travel and living expenses for the Fellowship period.
In addition you will receive free registration to the EACTS 2025 Annual Meeting along with a travel bursary to attend the meeting.
Application and Selection
In order to apply for this fellowship there are some essential criteria you must meet:
- Be an EACTS member with up-to-date membership payment
- Be in the last year of training or within the first four years after completing training
- Be fluent in English
Applicants who possess the following desirable criteria would be of particular interest:
- Previous experience in VATS
- Possibility of applying the knowledge and abilities acquired during the fellowship in home practice
In order to complete your application, you must submit the following documents*:
- Letter of support from current Head of Department/Training director (if in last year of training)
- Letter of interest (detailing the way in which you meet the application criteria, your career aspirations along with how you are in a position to apply the skills and knowledge obtained during the Fellowship in your own centre)
- CV – detailing publications
- Operative experience
*Please ensure that all documents submitted are written in English, and that they are submitted either as word documents or PDF. We do not accept images or handwritten applications. We are unable to provide advice or guidance about visa applications, so please ensure that you understand the visa requirements before applying for this Fellowship.
Evaluation and Feedback
There will be periodic communication with the Fellowship manager to ensure feedback from the fellow.
At the end of the Fellowship, the Fellows will produce a full report on their experience based on the Francis Fontan Fund Committee guidelines.
Terms and Conditions
- You cannot apply for more than one fellowship in a single year.
- You cannot apply for a fellowship if you have been awarded one in the last two years.
- If you do not submit all requested documents your application will not be reviewed.
- If you do not follow the application guidelines (document format, essential criteria etc) your application will not be reviewed.
- If you submit any false information your application will be immediately void (regardless of application stage).
- Once your fellowship start date is confirmed, 80% of the fellowship grant will be transferred to you.
- On completion of the fellowship and receipt of your final report, the remaining 20% of the fellowship grant will be transferred to you.
- Should your fellowship include third party fees, EACTS will pay this directly from your initial 80% grant payment, with the remaining balance being transferred to you.
- If for any reason you find you are unable to complete or attend training, you should notify EACTS at your earliest convenience. If the grant payment has already been made, you will be asked to repay the monies received based on incurred costs to date. Proof of expenses will be required.
The Francis Fontan Fellowship programme fosters the continued growth and development of cardiothoracic surgeons by providing opportunities to learn from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care and gain knowledge of novel techniques and innovative technologies used by other institutes around the world. Successful applicants will use the valuable learnings and collaborative relationships developed through their Fellowship to further the progress of cardiothoracic surgery at their home institution and support the delivery of the highest quality patient care.
- The fellowship needs to be completed within the year that it was awarded.
- Awardees need to be in full time employment throughout the fellowship.
NB. The Francis Fontan Fund Committee will consider any fellow who falls outside of this condition on a case-by-case basis. All decisions are final, and the Committee are not obliged to share the reasoning behind any decision made.
- Location: