General Description:
The TO Assembly’s Apprenticeship Program is designed to provide early career TO Assembly members with an opportunity to be directly involved in guiding the future of ATS. The goals of the TO Assembly Apprenticeship Program are to attract early career professionals and faculty, to increase their involvement in key TO Assembly activities, and to improve visibility for early career members within the Assembly.
For the purposes of this application, we define “early career” as senior fellows or junior faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor) less than 3 years from fellowship or completion of formal training, although applications from others will be considered. Non-physician professionals and international applicants are encouraged to apply. Because our goal is to develop future leaders for the TO Assembly, consideration will be given to individuals who demonstrate high potential but who lack strong existing mentorship ties within the TO Assembly through their own institutions.
Apprentices may serve with either the Program or Planning Committee. Under the mentorship of a committee member, Apprentices will get a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the operations of the TO Assembly while developing skills for evaluation of committee applications and development of committee projects. This will provide important networking opportunities with current Committee members. Committee Apprentices may have the opportunity to ‘graduate’ into full Committee membership in the year following Apprenticeship depending on their dedication and efforts.
Applications will be reviewed by the TO Early Career Working Group and the top-ranking applications will be forwarded to the TO Assembly Committee Chairs for final selection. Special attention will be paid to applicants who have not previously participated in Assembly activities, as well as those applicants with non-TO Assembly mentors.
Description of Program Committee
The Program Committee organizes the TO content for the International Conference, including sessions from accepted proposals and abstract-based sessions.
Program Committee Apprentices participate in the process of designing the International Conference content, learning to evaluate abstract submissions, and program Conference sessions.
Description of Planning Committee
The Planning Committee is charged with shaping the long-term strategy of the Assembly, generally through soliciting and sponsoring projects including clinical practice guidelines, position papers, and workshops benefitting the Assembly.
Planning Committee Apprentices will learn to provide evaluations and reviews of Committee project applications. Apprentices may have the opportunity to assist with the development of accepted project proposals.
Application Review Criteria
Applications for the TO Apprenticeship Program will be reviewed by the Early Career Professionals Working Group based on the following criteria:
- MD (or equivalent) and PhD applicants at the rank of senior fellow, senior postdoctoral fellow, Instructor, or Assistant Professor with 3 years of terminal training, although other applicants will be considered
- Express interest in a career in academic medicine or scientific investigation. Special consideration will be given to applicants with an interest related to thoracic oncology.
- Program Committee applicants must have research experience that would allow for the objective evaluation of scientific manuscripts.
- Be in and remain in good standing with the ATS
- Have attended the International ATS Meeting at least once in the past
- Be able to attend the International ATS Meeting for two consecutive years
- Be able to contribute sufficient time monthly to regular meetings
- Applicant is self-motivated and can state how this apprenticeship will help them to meet their career goals
- Applicant embraces and/or adds to the diversity of the ATS leadership
- Completed application form
- Updated CV and/or NIH biosketch
- One letter of recommendation from a mentor
The deadline to apply is Mon, Jan 24