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Aldo R. Castañeda Fellowship

An Honoring Our Mentors Fellowship Program

Aldo R. Castañeda, MD

Program Overview

The AATS Foundation Aldo R. Castañeda Fellowship has been established by mentees and friends of Dr. Aldo Castaneda, including many members of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (formerly the “Aldo Castaneda Society”). This fellowship offers Latin American congenital heart surgeons within their first ten years of practice the opportunity to spend up to three months of observational training within a host facility in North America (ideally a first or subsequent generation mentee of Aldo Castaneda).

The fellowship is sponsored and administered by the AATS Foundation and provides an award of up to $15,000 to one recipient for three months of study, or two recipients up to $7,500 for one month of study, to defray travel and living expenses while in North America. Additionally, recipients will be strongly encouraged to attend the AATS Annual Meeting; those who attend will receive a $200 travel stipend to defray costs of registration.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an award, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements for consideration:

  • Must be a citizen of Latin America
  • Must be in the first ten years of his/her practice
  • Must be fluent in English.
  • Travel Requirement: Candidate must meet all necessary criteria (license, visa, etc.) for travel to and from host training site.

Application Process

In addition to a formal online application, candidates are also required to upload the following materials:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letter of support from his/her current department chair/division chief
  • Additional letter of support from Host
  • Two to three-page narrative to include:
    (1) What they hope to accomplish during their fellowship;
    (2) How they will utilize the skills they have learned at their home institution;
    (3) Relationship of the planned study to the applicant’s prior experience, preparation, and professional goals;
    (4) Statement of future career goals;
    (5) How they plan to spend the funding.