Vargas International Hand Therapy Teaching Award
Deadline: December 1, 2012, 11:59PM EST
The Vargas International Hand Therapy Teaching Award is named in honor of Dr. Miguel Vargas, a hand surgeon who practiced in Puerto Rico and was an international emissary for education.
The Award is an outgrowth of the AAHS’s mission. Its intent is therapy outreach - to foster an exchange of educational ideas between therapists in the AAHS and in the host country to result in improved patient care for upper extremity problems. The Vargas Award is hand therapy education driven. Education is the foremost purpose and mission of the Award, with a portion of the trip emphasizing hands-on postoperative care of the upper extremity in host countries where surgery is applicable and possible.
The Vargas Award is bestowed annually. A grant reimbursing up to $5000 in trip-related expenses, including supplies needed for the mission, will be made to the therapist Award recipient.
Who can apply for the Vargas Award?
The Vargas Award will be granted to a hand therapist currently practicing in the area of hand therapy. A therapist may apply to participate in an unspecified future mission or propose a mission. A practicing hand surgeon may propose a future mission or apply to accompany a therapist on a future mission; however, no funding will be awarded to the surgeon. Surgeons chosen for a Vargas mission are expected to be self-funded or seek outside funding. A therapist/surgeon team may propose a mission, but funding will be applied only to the therapist's expenses.
Guidelines
Applicants must be current AAHS members.
Applicants must be actively practicing in the area of hand therapy or surgery.
If accepted for a mission, individuals must be willing to travel for up to 2 weeks.
Following the trip, the therapist will be required to share his/her mission experience with the AAHS membership by writing an article for the Hand Surgery Quarterly newsletter and presenting a report at the Annual Meeting. If applicable, it is preferred that the therapist and surgeon present their experiences jointly as an extension of their trip in the spirit of continued collaboration.
If a therapist is unable to afford attendance to the AAHS Annual Meeting, the unused funds from the Vargas Award may be applied toward this expense so that the Award winner can present at the Annual Meeting.
Category 1
Therapists or surgeons who would like to apply to participate in a future Vargas mission, but do not have a specific mission to propose
Category 2
Therapists, surgeons, or therapist/surgeon teams who would like to propose a future Vargas mission
If an individual knows of a potential Vargas mission contact or host facility, please notify the AAHS administrative office at contact@handsurgery.org.
