The IFHNOS is proud and pleased to announce the establishment of their International Observership Program. This program will offer an observership grant in the amount of US $5,000 to selected candidates who will have the opportunity to travel to one of the centers of excellence in North America listed below and spend one to two months observing clinical activities and/or research activities to further strengthen their clinical competence and research productivity. The selected candidates will have an opportunity to observe in a tertiary care head and neck cancer center of excellence where they will have an opportunity to participate in educational activities of the institution as well as observe in the operating room. The International Observership Program is available to any candidate who has met the requirements for this travel grant and has been selected by the Program Committee.

Applications for this travel grant should be submitted to the Chair of the International Observership Program Committee by July 1st of each academic year for the observership to take place during the latter part of that year.

The International Observership Program is supported by the Jatin and Bharti Shah Family Foundation. In a communication from Ms. Mili Shah Brown, Director of the above foundation, addressed to Professor William Wei, Director of IFHNOS, a proposal was made to establish an International Observership Program through a grant to support candidates who would be able to travel to any center of excellence of their choice to get further training in head and neck surgery and oncology. The Executive Board of the IFHNOS unanimously accepted this proposal and has appointed a committee to oversee the execution of this program.

The International Observership Program is available to candidates who have completed at least 5 years of surgical training either in the field of general surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery or allied specialties with a focus on head and neck cancer. The candidate should have demonstrated a commitment to head and neck cancer surgery through training in surgical oncology, publications, and current clinical activities in the specialty of head and neck surgery and oncology. In general, candidates during their advanced fellowship in head and neck surgery or at a junior faculty level would be encouraged to apply. The Observership can be undertaken at any one of the approved institutions with centers of excellence in head and neck surgery listed in this program.

The candidates wishing to apply for the International Observership Program need to complete the application form and submit it to Dr. Ashok Shaha, Chairman of the International Observership Program of IFHNOS, by July 1, 2023 for observership to begin 2024.