FAQs: Students
Please submit additional questions to fic-fellowship@aamc.org
1. How many fellowship positions are available?
There will be approximately 25-30 fellowship opportunities available.
2. I am a fourth year student graduating this year. Am I eligible
to apply?
No. You must apply during your third year to be eligible for the
program. Students must have at least 6 months remaining in their
program when returning from the fellowship year.
3. I am a Ph.D. student. When can I apply?
After finishing the requirements for the Master's degree part of
the program, but not necessarily receiving the Master's degree.
Also, you must have at least 6 months remaining in your program
when returning from the fellowship year.
4. Must I be a U.S. citizen to be eligible to apply?
Yes, or a permanent U.S. resident.
5. I just graduated from medical school. Am I eligible for the
program?
No. One must be a student to participate in the program. Medical
students must have completed their basic science courses and one
year of clinical clerkship to apply. Ph.D. students must have completed
their coursework and be post comprehensive exams prior to the beginning
of the fellowship. Nursing students must have successfully achieved
candidacy for the doctoral degree to be eligible.
Post-residency fellows are eligible to apply for our expansion
program, the Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellows (FICRF)
program. Please visit www.fogartyscholars.org
for more information.
6. In pursuit of my M.D. and Ph.D. studies, I receive support
from an NIH-funded medical graduate program - the Medical Scientist
Training Program (MSTP). Am I still eligible to apply to the fellowship?
It depends. Because one cannot receive federal government funding
from two sources for the same training, the issue of timing is critical.
An MSTP student should speak to their program advisor about the
situation to see if a one year leave of absence is possible.
7. Do I apply for consideration for the program individually
or must I have the support of my home institution?
All applications to the program must include: 1) a reference letter
from the dean for academic and/or student affairs at the student's
home educational institution; and 2) a letter from a faculty member
who is willing to serve as a mentor to the student before, during
and upon his/her return from the fellowship experience. Please refer
to the Request for Applications page for a complete listing of application
requirements.
8. Will each supporting institution be limited in the number
of student applicants it sponsors?
There will be no limit on applications from any particular institution.
9. Upon my acceptance into the program, will I be assigned another
mentor?
Yes. Besides the student's home institution mentor who will have
responsibilities to the student both during the student's application
process (in the manner of providing a supporting reference letter
with the student's application) and upon the student's return from
abroad, each Scholar will be assigned a mentor from the foreign
training site. In addition, the student will be advised by a faculty
member from the FIC training program which is partnered with the
foreign site.
10. Is there any monetary compensation for an accepted student?
Yes. Fellowship stipends are $25,000 per year (adjusted to cost
of living expenses at the foreign site) with an additional $6,000
per year for travel, insurance, and educational materials. No provision
for loan forgiveness is involved in the compensation package.
11. Is there any monetary compensation for foreign training
sites?
Yes. Funds will be provided to support a trainee from the foreign
site who will be paired with the U.S. trainee. In addition, the
foreign training site will receive $10,000 per U.S. trainee for
programmatic support including mentoring and administration, laboratory
costs, and support of other in-country trainees.
12. Will my inability to speak a foreign language be a problem?
Will it adversely affect my prospects for selection?
Generally not, however, some programs might identify the need or
advisability of a specific foreign language and the knowledge of
such a language would be a clear benefit in the application process.
While not applicable to every foreign site, most fellowship opportunities
are located in areas where English is predominantly spoken. In cases
when it is not, there will be opportunity available for some language
training. That said, if an applicant does possess foreign language
skills they may note such on their application.
13. How does the fellowship Program define an Eligible Training
Site in a developing country?
Criteria for an eligible training site include:
- Ongoing clinical research activities supported by the U.S.
Federal Government funding (implicit in this is compliance with
the Required Federal Assurances, including data safety monitoring
boards). The clinical research projects of the trainee/scholars
will be restricted to those which are U.S. Federal Government
funded and IRB/IEC approved.
- A strong track record of clinical research and research training,
including graduate level training for both developing country
students and visiting students.
- Support from one or more FIC training grants for research capacity
building at the site.
- Strong mentoring capacity including an on-site research program
director / administrator / mentor.
- Willingness to collaborate with a designated U.S. institution
and the program steering committee in developing effective mentoring,
monitoring, follow-up, and educational programs.
- The capacity to match the U.S. trainee / scholars with trainee
/ scholars from the developing country in order to foster peer
level teaching / support and build a community of scholars.
- The ability to draw upon other educational and scientific strengths
of the host institution and other facilities in the community
in order to enhance the experience of the trainee / scholars.
- Suitable infrastructure arrangements for housing, food, and
transportation.
- Attention to health and safety issues.
- Attention to language issues that impact on the ability of
trainee/scholars to function effectively.
14. Beyond the links provided via this site, will there be additional
opportunities to learn about the program's foreign training sites?
Yes. If selected as a finalist, applicants will have the opportunity
to briefly meet and speak with representatives from the foreign
training sites during the Annual Program Selection Conference. It
will be at this gathering that final applicants will submit their
preferred site destination. At the same time, the foreign training
site representatives will have the opportunity to speak with each
of the finalists and submit their preferences for individual assignment.
Each group will be submitting such to a Steering Committee that
will be charged with making the final decision of fellowship awards.
15. If I am awarded a fellowship, what measures will be taken
to assure my safety while located at the foreign site?
New fellowship participants will be brought together for a three-week
orientation program during which the instruction in bioethical framework
of patient-oriented clinical research, research methodology, and
advice regarding personal health and safety will be addressed.
In addition, you may find applicable information from one of the
following sites:
16. Will I need to be covered by a health insurance policy during
my training period abroad?
Most definitely. You may still be covered through your institution
and it will be your responsibility to investigate this. If not,
you will need to acquire health insurance on your own. In order
to participate in the fellowship program, proof of health insurance
must be provided. The fellowship program will, however, provide
each Scholar with a stipend to assist with the cost.
17. If accepted into the program, will my spouse and child(ren)
be able to join me abroad? What about health insurance for my family?
Yes, although no extra stipend or funding will be provided.
Regarding health insurance coverage, if either the student or his/her
family is not covered by their university healthcare provider, they
will have to purchase health care insurance. In order to determine
health care availability at each individual foreign site, a student
should study the site's web page information and links as well as
contact the site's principal investigator (PI) with questions.
18. Let's say that I have received a fellowship. What are my
responsibilities to the program after my one year assignment abroad
is complete?
After completion of the research training year, the alumni Scholars
will be mentored and encouraged to continue their interest and involvement
in global health and clinical research. In the year following their
return, alumni will be asked to present their findings at the Annual
Program Selection Conference (held on the NIH campus) attended by
their peers, new candidates for the program, and faculty and staff.
In addition, prior to the trainee's year abroad at the time of
award conference and acceptance, each Scholar will be required to
sign an agreement to complete an annual survey about his/her current
career (outcomes such as training & research, awards, publications
and employment).
19. How does the fellowship program define "Clinical Research"?
The term "clinical research" means patient oriented health
conducted with human subjects, or research on the causes and consequences
of disease in human populations involving material of human origin
(such as tissue specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an
investigator or colleague directly interacts with human subjects
in an outpatient or inpatient setting to clarify a problem in human
physiology, pathophysiology or disease, or epidemiologic or behavioral
studies, outcomes research or health services research, or developing
new technologies, therapeutic interventions, or clinical trials.
20. What is the selection process?
All completed applications received by the December deadline
will be reviewed by a committee established by the AAMC and ASPH.
Approximately 50 finalists will be invited to visit NIH in early
March for 2 days of interviews and meeting with members of the steering
committee and representatives from the foreign training sites. At
the conclusion of that meeting, candidates and programs will list
their preferences and the steering committee will make assignments
of the successful candidates to the sites. The "final decision"
date will be coordinated with the domestic student research programs
(Howard Hughes, Doris Duke, NIH Clinical Research Program) so that
students considering more than one option will know the full menu
of their opportunities. Applicants on the waiting list will receive
a final notification by the end of March.
21. What is my mentor's role?
The mentor you choose should be someone from your home institution
who knows you well and with whom you have a comfortable relationship.
His/her role is to answer your questions and provide you with support
while you are abroad; to willingly offer help and guidance when
you need it. Upon your return, you will hopefully maintain a supportive
professional relationship as the years progress. S/he should continue
to mentor you by meeting with you to "debrief" you on your time
spent abroad, helping you find other opportunities to stay connected
with research endeavors, helping get you venues to talk about the
work you did abroad, possibly helping with deciding future residencies,
etc. etc. It is not necessary that this person do research in the
field(s) you are interested, though you will find it helpful to
choose someone who understands some aspects of research and is generally
interested in your well being from a scientific point of view.
22. If I am awarded a fellowship, will my student loans go into
repayment?
Students who have medical education loans should be sure to contact
their Financial Aid Officer in order to understand how taking time
off from their medical education program may affect their status
during the fellowship year regarding the repayment of their student
loans.
23. Do I have to be enrolled in a graduate program to be eligible?
Yes, you must be enrolled in a doctoral level program to be eligible
and should have completed your basic requirements. Medical students
must have completed their basic science courses and one year of
clinical clerkships to apply. Ph.D. students should have completed
the Master's degree requirements, even if you do not have a separate
degree. Nurse applicants must be individuals who have successfully
achieved candidacy for the doctoral degree to be eligible. Everyone
must have at least 6 months of school remaining when returning from
the fellowship year.
Post-residency fellows are eligible to apply for our expansion
program, the Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellows (FICRF)
program. Please visit www.fogartyscholars.org
for more information.
24. Are veterinarian students eligible?
Yes, as long as they have completed their basic classes and can
make a good case through the application that a career in clinical
research, especially global international research, is a serious
possibility.
25. Are chiropractic students eligible?
No, chiropractic students are not eligible.
26. At what juncture in my Ph.D. work am I eligible for this
fellowship program?
You must have completed the work for the Master's degree in that
field. Although you do not need to have the diploma itself, since
many Ph.D. candidates do not receive such a diploma on the way to
the Ph.D., you must have completed the requirements for it. Also,
you must have at least 6 months remaining in your program when returning
from the fellowship year.
27. Is the above FAQ a change from the first year of the program?
Yes, this is a change. The first year of the program required for
eligibility that you would have finished the Comprehensive Examinations.
28. If I am getting an M.D. and a Ph.D., do I have to wait for
eligibility for both paths?
No, each of the two programs would be taken into consideration separately.
Therefore, you would need to be either post the clinical rotation
year or post the Master's level in the Ph.D. pursuit.
29. Are advanced degree Pharmacy students eligible to apply
to the program?
Yes, advanced degree pharmacy students are eligible to apply. We
encourage them to apply.
30. I am a PharmD student. At what point in my schooling am
I eligible to apply?
As a PharmD, you must have completed the work for the Master's
degree in that field. Although you do not need to have the diploma
itself, since many candidates do not receive such a diploma on the
way to the doctorate, you must have completed the requirements for
it. You must also have at least 6 months remaining in your program
when returning from the fellowship year. In addition, you must have
completed your basic classes and make a good case through the application
that a career in clinical research, especially global research,
is a serious possibility.
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