Fellowship deadlines loom
Discover which Fellowships are available and read about Alina Gallo’s experience of the Aortic Valve Repair Fellowship below.
OPCAB/MICS CABG Fellowship 2022
Five new Fellowships, supported by Medtronic
This gives newly graduated cardiothoracic surgeons from around the world the opportunity to enhance their clinical understanding and to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the surgical management of patients with coronary artery disease, with special interest in off-pump and minimal invasive techniques.
Closing date for applications: 29 September
October: applications sent to committee for review
Notification to recipient: after committee meeting
Public award announcement: to be confirmed
For more, see the OPCAB page on the EACTS website.
Advanced Intensive Postoperative Care in Cardiovascular Surgery Fellowship 2022
Three new Fellowships
The recipients will gain experience in the postoperative management in adult cardiovascular surgery, as well as a wide exposure to minimally invasive and other advanced techniques in cardiovascular surgery.
Closing Date for applications: 29 September
October: applications sent to committee for review
Notification to recipient: after committee meeting
Public award announcement: to be confirmed
For more, see the AIPC page on the EACTS website.
MSTCVS Quality and Outcomes Fellowship 2022
One new Fellowship to visit Michigan, US
The successful candidate gets a unique, career-enhancing training opportunity in this six-month placement at one of the world’s leading centres of excellence.
Closing Date for applications: 29 September
October: applications sent to committee for review
Notification to recipient: after committee meeting
Public award announcement: to be confirmed
For more, see the MSTCVS page on the EACTS website.
Alina Gallo talks about her experience of the Aortic Valve Repair Fellowship, which she completed in 2019
At what stage was your career when you applied for the AVR Fellowship in 2019?
I was a consultant at the cardiac surgery department of the Maggiore della Carità Hospital in Novara. As an independent surgeon, I already had some experience on aortic root and ascending aortic surgery. I became a specialist in cardiac surgery in 2013, and from the beginning I focused my career on the practical aspect of surgery, with the aim of becoming an independent surgeon. After training, I worked at San Donato Milanese Hospital where I had the opportunity to work with Professor Lorenzo Menicanti. That taught me that a surgeon has to be able to perform surgery in any situation and not stay safe watching others doing it, waiting for plain and easy cases. As he advised, I ‘jumped and swam’. I moved to Mirano, Veneto, where I started to perform surgery as first operator.
What was it that prompted you to apply for the Fellowship?
I was reading the EACTS newsletter and became aware of the Francis Fontan Fund. I was taken by The Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship because it is the topic that I love most. I thought I must not miss the chance to apply. I won and it was such an honour that I put all myself into this amazing experience.
Did taking up the Fellowship involve any upheaval?
Not really. I asked the hospital management for a study leave for the days required to attend the Fellowship. They said yes because it was also a prestigious opportunity for them and reflected well on the hospital itself.
Overall, what was your experience of your time spent on the Fellowship?
The Fellowship is perfect for a consultant cardiac surgeon, having the right balance between theory and practice. During the two-week internship I spent in Brussels and Homburg, I tried to watch and ‘steal’ skill and expertise as much as I could. I had the unique opportunity to observe how Professor Gebrine El Khoury and Professor Hans-Joachim Schäfers, two of the most important surgeons of our time, run a department and manage complex cardiac operations. The Fellowship completely met my expectations. I would recommend it to every young surgeon who wants to learn from the experts.
What would you say have been the key things you’ve learnt about your speciality and about yourself during the Fellowship?
Cardiac disease can be addressed in many different ways depending on the expertise of the surgeon, but the difference is made by the surgeon who can offer the best-suited solution to the patient’s specific problem. Travelling around and meeting surgeons from different countries and with different educational programmes opens your mind and enriches you. There will be always something you can learn.
How has it affected the trajectory of your career?
It has allowed me to meet and talk with world-famous cardiac surgeons, and has enhanced my self-confidence. It has also influenced my career choices, helping me to leave my comfort zone and move to a centre with a higher patient volume with aortic root, ascending aorta and aortic arch pathologies. I now work at Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital in Alessandria. I have good expertise in aortic root surgery and now I am improving and learning complex surgical techniques, such as the ‘frozen elephant trunk’ technique, which was one of the topics of the ‘Introduction to Aortic Surgery’ course I attended as part of the Fellowship.
What would your advice be to anybody thinking of applying for a Fellowship?
When I applied, I was a little intimidated by writing a letter of interest and asking my chief for a letter of support. I thought the best thing was to describe what my surgical career had been like to date, what I wanted to achieve, my dreams and why I really wanted to be selected: to start a programme on aortic valve repair in my department and make a difference for patients. To those considering applying, I would say that if this is the programme you’ve always dreamed of, you will be successful in applying.