Rowan Nicks International Scholarship, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia


The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (the College) offers the Rowan Nicks International Scholarship each year. The Rowan Nicks Scholarships and Fellowships are the most prestigious of the College’s international awards and are directed at qualified surgeons who have the potential to be leaders in their countries.

The International Scholarship is designed to provide the Scholar with the opportunity to:

  1. Develop skills to enable them to manage a department.
  2. Become competent in teaching.
  3. Gain experience in clinical research.
  4. Gain some further exposure in a particular surgical field.

Conditions of the Rowan Nicks Scholarship
The Scholarship is usually tenable in a major hospital (or hospitals) in Australia or New Zealand, and will be awarded for a period of up to twelve months.

The Scholarship will provide funds for return economy class traveling expenses (including ground transport) between the home country and hospital attachment for the Scholar. A living allowance equivalent to $AUD 36,000 for twelve months in Australasia or appropriate pro-rata for another country will be provided in installments. This is a tax-free stipend.

No Scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who will receive a salary for their attachment.

The Scholarship does not cover any costs whatsoever associated with the Scholar’s family members. Scholars are welcome to be accompanied by immediate family members at their own cost.

The Scholar will be encouraged to visit other appropriate institutions in Australia and New Zealand or appropriate other country during their training. Funds required for travel for this purpose will be considered on an individual basis. If in Australia or New Zealand at the relevant time, the Scholar will be encouraged to attend the Annual Scientific Congress of the College. Funds to attend the ASC will be supplied to cover the cost of registration, travel and accommodation for the Scholar only.

The Scholar must provide a progress report half-way through a twelve month Scholarship and also at the conclusion of the Scholarship. The final report should be no less than 1000 words in length. When the Scholarship is for six months or less, one report only will be required.

Eligibility for the Rowan Nicks Scholarship
Applications for the 2012 International Scholarship are open to qualified surgeons from Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam and Indonesia (with preference to applicants from outside the major capital cities of Jakarta and Surabaya who will return to practice in regional areas).

The eligibility criteria for the Scholarship are that applicants must:

  1. Be a citizen of the country from which the application is made.
  2. Be between the ages of 25-45 years inclusive on the closing date of applications.
  3. Provide evidence they have passed the exit exam of his/her country’s course of post-graduate training in surgery by the time selection takes place. This is essential. The Scholarship is not available to candidates in training. Recipients must provide evidence that they have satisfactorily completed their training program by the time they take up their Rowan Nicks Scholarship.
  4. Be fluent in the English language. Applicants must provide evidence that they meet the English language requirements for registration with the Medical Board of Australia or Medical Council of New Zealand by the time selection takes place (refer to page 15 of this application form). The Medical Board of Australia requires an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test score of at least 7.0 across all test components. The Medical Council of New Zealand requires and IELTS test score of at least 7.5 across all test components.
  5. Provide the names and full contact details of the referees as outlined in the application form. Failure to include the names of referees may adversely affect the application in the selection process.
  6. Guarantee to return to his/her place of origin on completion of the Scholarship.

Selection Procedure
Applicants will only be considered if they meet the eligibility requirements of the Scholarship and have completed the application form in its entirety following the instructions supplied. Applications must be received by 5pm AEST on Monday, 6 June 2011 at the following address:

Secretariat, Rowan Nicks Committee
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
College of Surgeons’ Gardens
250-290 Spring Street
East Melbourne, Victoria 3002
Australia

Telephone: + 61 3 9249 1211
Facsimile: +61 3 9276 7431
Email: international.scholarships@surgeons.org

Applications received after this date will not be considered.

The Rowan Nicks Committee will undertake the review and selection of the Scholars. The Committee will primarily consider the potential of the applicant to become a leader in the country of origin, and/or to supply a much-needed service in a particular surgical discipline. The Committee must be convinced that the applicant is of high calibre in surgical ability, ethical integrity, and qualities of leadership, and the references collected by the College from the referees support the applicant as one who will teach and promulgate high standards in the development of surgical experience in their country.

The Selection Committee will make the final recommendations to the College Council in October 2011. Once an official decision is made all applicants will be officially notified of the outcome via email and post by 31 December 2011. The view of the Council will be final.

Although selection will primarily be based on merit, applicants providing a valuable service in remote areas, without opportunities for institutional support or educational facilities, will be given special consideration.

This is not just a personal award; the orientation is “teach the teacher to teach others”, and the Scholar must come with a sense of responsibility to the needs of his/her country.

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