Applications are now being accepted for The ASCO Cancer Foundation’s 2009 International Development and Education Awards (IDEAs).
The IDEA Program enables early-career oncologists in countries with limited resources to attend the ASCO Annual Meeting, and to visit a cancer center in the United States or Canada. Participants are given the opportunity to expand their current knowledge, earn continuing medical education, share their learning experiences at the Meeting with colleagues in their home countries—and ultimately enhance the quality of cancer care around the world. The program also helps recipients to establish strong relationships with ASCO members who serve as scientific mentors.
The 2009 Annual Meeting will be held May 29 to June 2, 2009 in Orlando, Florida.
The monetary award covers expenses associated with attending the Meeting, as well as the recipients’ visit to a cancer center. Recipients also receive a complimentary three-year ASCO membership, which includes a subscription to the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“We are looking for young and enthusiastic minds, people who still have a vision of changing the world,” Tony Mok MD said, who serves as the 2008-2009 Chair of the ASCO International Affairs Committee. “Language is important in the way that they only have a week to absorb the new experience. Good comprehension of English is essential,” he added.
This upcoming year will mark the eight-year anniversary of the ASCO Cancer Foundation IDEA Program. To date, 120 recipients from 39 countries have participated.
“It is extremely important for clinicians from across the world to meet on a regular basis, share their knowledge, and thus continue to learn from each others' experiences,” 2008 IDEA recipient Navneet Singh MD, DM, of India said. “We as clinicians should always remember that the practice of oncology—and of medicine as a whole—is an ever-learning process, and that our ultimate aim is to alleviate the suffering of patients, he added.
Another 2008 IDEA recipient, Jianquan Zhu MD, of China concurs with Dr. Singh, noting that “this is a time of evidence-based medicine, and not any single oncologist can provide the patients’ best care without collaboration with others.”
Strongest consideration for the awards will be given to candidates who submit an abstract for the 2009 Annual Meeting. As of June 1, 2009, applicants must have 10 years or less of experience in the field of oncology, and no more than one year of “formal training” in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, or New Zealand; also, they cannot have attended more than one previous ASCO Annual Meeting. Applicants must be able to travel to the United States with no visa restrictions.
Supplementary application materials include a curriculum vitae (CV), letter of recommendation, and a 250-word essay—all of which are reviewed by the IDEA Working Group. Finalists may be contacted for more information about their plans for integrating what they learn in their selected program into their practice.
Materials must be submitted by January 14, 2009, and applicants will be notified of their status in late February 2009. For more information on the IDEA program, please visit the Award Opportunities section of The ASCO Cancer Foundation.
