The World Association of Lebanese Neurosurgeons offers Traveling Fellowships to neurosurgery faculty or residents in good professional standing for the purpose of acquiring clinical, technical, and/or research experience in North America or Europe under the guidance of a WALN member.

By providing these awards, WALN aims to:
- improve the skills of Lebanese neurosurgeons throughout the world by allowing them to acquire experience in some of the leading neurosurgical centers,
- assist the neurosurgical community in Lebanon to provide the highest quality of care possible, and
- encourage academic interactions between WALN members in Lebanon and abroad.

The fellowship endowment is made possible through donations by WALN members and industrial and philanthropic sponsors. Each awardee is expected to spend the grant period gaining specific neurosurgical experience under the sponsorship of a WALN member.

This year, WALN will be offering one fellowship in the amount of $3,000 to a resident or young faculty. The awardees are chosen on the basis of applications submitted to the WALN Education Committee. Decisions will be based on clinical and technical needs (for example to learn a new technique not available at the applicant’s medical center), financial need (mainly for residents), quality of proposed project, and recommendation of a WALN member. Decisions will be unaffected by religious, geographic, or medical center affiliations. The sponsors have no input in the selection of the prospective fellows. Applicants who submit a well-articulated program development plan, and whose institution agrees to support such a program upon return to their home country, are particularly encouraged to apply.

In order to qualify for consideration by the selection committee, the following requirements must be fulfilled:
- Applicants must be graduates of an accredited school of medicine in Lebanon or abroad.
- All applicants must be active faculty/resident members of WALN.
- Resident applicants must be enrolled and in good standing in a neurosurgical residency program in Lebanon or abroad.

Applicants must submit:
- a fully completed application form provided by WALN,
- a curriculum vitae,
- one letter of recommendation from the WALN member with whom they will be spending the award time, and
- a second letter of support from the program chairman (for residents only).
These should be sent preferably by email to the WALN Education Committee Chair (iskandar@neurosurg.wisc.edu). The application must be typewritten and in English. Submission of a curriculum vitae only is not acceptable.

The fellowship funds must be used in the year for which they are designated. They can be postponed only under exceptional circumstances.

Applicants who are awarded fellowships are expected to provide a short written report of their experience upon its completion, to be published in the WALN newsletter.

Formal WALN Traveling Fellowship application forms may be obtained from the WALN Web site (www.waln.org). In order for an applicant to receive consideration by the Education Committee for the year 2007-2008, completed application forms and all of the supporting documentation must be received by Benny Iskandar (iskandar@neurosurg.wisc.edu) prior to December 15, 2007.

Benny Iskandar, MD
Chair, WALN Education Committee


For those who are willing to host WALN awardees, please use the Hosting Form. There is no financial commitment, but the host has to be willing to have the awardees spend 1- 3 months with him/her.

We have a List of Hosts, that is a work in progress with continuous updates, for those candidates who are interested in finding the appropriate sponsor.

Any comments or questions regarding the application process or eligibility criteria should be addressed to Dr. Benny Iskandar, the Chair of the WALN Education Committee.