Verified

Quality and Outcomes with MSTCVS Fellowship

European Association for Cardio Thoracic Surgery

The MSTCVS Quality Collaborative promotes best practice and shares surgical outcomes to improve quality and outcomes for patients. It implements quality improvement initiatives based on regional and national data, clinical research and the latest cardiac and thoracic surgery practice and guidelines.

The Fellow will have an exciting opportunity to work with the multidisciplinary team based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, led by MD Endowed Professor of Cardiac Surgery Francis Pagani, a specialist in clinical outcomes and quality improvement.

Fellowship overview

As part of the four month Fellowship, the successful Fellow will:

Have the opportunity to work with the team’s full-time statistician to develop appropriate analytical methods in an area of specific interest, such as atrial fibrillation or CABG
Take part in a site visit/tour (should they occur during your placement) at one of 33 participating hospitals to share best practice or review outcomes
Extract data and prepare analyses to be reviewed at the team’s quarterly meetings
Support the organisation, running and administration of the quarterly meetings
Join weekly meetings with the Project Director (RLP)
Prepare and develop a data-driven abstract(s) and/or manuscript(s) while part of the Collaborative
Present surgical outcomes data at a subsequent meeting
Present an evaluation of the experience to the Board of the Francis Fontan Fellowship Fund and/or at a future EACTS meeting.

Funding

We offer a bursary of €20,000 to help with the living and travel costs associated with this Fellowship. EACTS will also provide a bursary towards the cost of your attendance at the 2027 EACTS Annual Meeting.

Applicants who possess the following desirable criteria would be of particular interest:

Previous attendance at EACTS courses and Annual Meetings
Fellow of EBCTS
Previous experience with data, quality and outcome operations
Possibility of applying the knowledge and abilities acquired during the fellowship in home practice

In order to complete your application you must submit the following documents*:

Letter of support from current Head of Department/Training director (if in last year of training)
Letter of interest (detailing the way in which you meet the application criteria, your career aspirations along with how you are in a position to apply the skills and knowledge obtained during the Fellowship in your own centre)
CV
Operative experience
Be fluent in English

AI Based Application Success Predictor

❤️‍🩹 1. Strong Focus on Cardiothoracic Surgery (Non-Negotiable)

Projects must directly address:
- Cardiac and thoracic surgical diseases
Includes:
- Valve surgery
- Coronary artery disease
- Aortic disease
- Lung and thoracic conditions

👉 Weak surgical relevance → low success probability

🎯 2. Clear Clinical & Surgical Impact (Top Predictor)

Successful proposals:

Demonstrate:
- Improvement in surgical techniques or patient outcomes
Aim to:
- Reduce complications
- Improve survival or recovery

👉 Key question:
“Will this improve cardiothoracic surgical care?”

🔄 3. Translational & Practice-Oriented Research (Critical)

Preference for:
- Clinical or translational studies
Includes:
- Surgical innovations
- Device development
- Outcomes research

👉 Pure basic science is less competitive unless clinically linked

👩‍⚕️ 4. Early-Career Surgeon Development (Major Priority)

Many EACTS programs target:
- Trainees, residents, and early-career surgeons

Evaluation includes:

Career trajectory
Leadership potential

👉 Strong advantage for early-stage applicants

🏥 5. High-Quality Host Institution (Key Differentiator)

For fellowships:

Host center must:
- Offer advanced surgical expertise
- Provide high surgical volume

👉 Strong host justification significantly improves success

🌍 6. International Mobility & Collaboration

Preference for:
- Cross-country training
Encourages:
- Knowledge exchange within Europe

👉 Mobility is a core evaluation factor

🧪 7. Feasible, Well-Structured Study Plan

Must include:
- Clear aims
- Methodology
- Timeline

👉 Realistic scope is critical (often 1–2 year programs)

🧠 8. Innovation in Surgical Techniques & Technology

High success rates in:

Minimally invasive surgery
Robotic surgery
New devices or imaging

👉 Innovation must be clinically applicable

🤝 9. Mentorship & Training Quality

Strong mentor:
- Established surgeon-researcher
Clear training objectives

👉 Training value is as important as research

📊 10. Alignment with EACTS Educational Mission

EACTS prioritizes:
- Education and skill development
Projects with:
- Training outcomes
- Skill acquisition

👉 Education-focused proposals are favored

📊 Summary: Key Predictors (Ranked)

Highest impact factors:

Cardiothoracic surgery focus
Clinical/surgical impact
Translational relevance

Moderate predictors:
4. Early-career development
5. Host institution quality
6. Feasibility

Supporting factors:
7. Mobility/collaboration
8. Innovation
9. Mentorship

💡 Insider Insight

Compared to NIH or large research funders:

European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery is:
👉 clinically driven + training-focused
👉 emphasizes surgeon skill development

👉 Key evaluation question:
“Will this improve surgical practice and help train a better cardiothoracic surgeon?”

✔️ What wins:

Practical surgical research
Strong training benefit
High-quality host institution

❌ What struggles:

Pure lab research
Weak clinical relevance
Poor training justification

Specialties

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Eligibility Requirements

In order to apply for this fellowship there are some essential criteria you must meet:

Be an EACTS member with up-to-date membership payment
Be in the last year of training or within the first four years after completing training
Be fluent in English

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Association for Cardio Thoracic Surgery

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: EACTS House Madeira Walk Windsor SL4 1EU

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