SMISS Traveling Fellowship Program

The SMISS Traveling Fellowship Program is an immersive 2-week experience. Accompanied by a senior spine surgeon, the SMISS Traveling Fellows will have the opportunity to travel the country to visit three different medical institutions, spend time with experts in minimally invasive surgery and foster camaraderie with orthopedic and neurological surgeons who practice minimally invasive spine surgery.

2022 SMISS Traveling Fellows

Daniel Hafez, MD, PhD

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

I consider myself to be incredibly fortunate to have been able to participate in the SMISS travelling fellowship program. The educational benefit of being exposed to and learn from the top surgeons across the country was invaluable. Additionally, the relationships formed with my co-fellows and the participating faculty have been inspirational and life-lasting. I highly recommend anyone interested in learning different techniques and approaches to minimally invasive spine to apply, no matter what stage of your career. The experience is incredibly rewarding.

Elizabeth Lord, MD

UCLA Health

The SMISS travelling fellowship was a transformative experience for my practice. I learned so many technical pearls and career lessons from leaders in spine surgery. Most importantly, I made relationships with incredible co-fellows that will last for years to come. I cannot recommend this fellowship more highly.

Hardeep Singh, MD

UConn School of Medicine

The SMISS traveling fellowship was a tremendous experience both personally and professionally. It provided us with an opportunity to learn from leaders in the field and incorporate those learnings into taking care of our patients. The fellowship allowed us to connect with our co-fellows and form lasting relationships. I highly recommend this fellowship.

Host Sites

• The Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY
• Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, Vail, CO
• Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA

Highlights include:

• Visits to three different medical institutions
• Interaction with expert faculty (both in and out of the hospital)
• Dr. William Taylor, SMISS Past President and Founding Member, will be traveling with the Fellows
• Operating room observation
• Opportunity to share cases
• Friendship and recreation with current and future leaders in MISS
• Memories that will last your lifetime!

Itinerary

Application Criteria

• SMISS member in good standing
• In practice 10 or fewer years
• Resides in North America
• Junior surgeon (post-residency and post-fellowship)

Application Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• (2) Letters of Recommendation
• Letter of support from applicant’s Department Head or institution granting them time off to participate, if selected.
• List of (2) topics applicant would be willing to speak on during the fellowship program
• Professional Headshot

This is an online process, and only online applications will be considered.

SMISS Will Cover

• Coach-class airfare between the traveling fellow’s hometown, each of the regional sites, Las Vegas for the Annual Forum, and back home.
• Hotel accommodations in each city
• Ground transportation between airports and the hotels
• Registration to the SMISS Annual Forum and SMISS Cadaveric Lab
• Reasonable meal expenses on travel days

Host Sites Will Provide

• Operating room observation, academic, and social programs
• Ground transportation between hotel and their facilities and the local airport
• Meals while in town
• Experiences that will create both professional and personal memories

Questions

If you have questions, please contact info@smiss.org