European School of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Surgery (ESSTSS)
The objectives
- Provide high quality, structured, basic and advanced training in surgical approach to STS
- Certify proficient knowledge of applying candidates in the scientific basis and clinical practice of STS care, specifically multidisciplinary decision making and surgical management
What we offer
- A clinical training in at least 2 of the 4 participating referral centres
- Participation in mandatory courses and conferences
- Formulation and elaboration of 2 research projects under the supervision of the mentor, to be presented at a congress and submitted for publication at a peer-reviewed journal
Training Programme
Lasts 2 years and includes mandatory educational activities
A clinical training in at least 2 of the 4 participating referral centres
The stay in each centre must last between 2 and 6 months. If one of the stays lasts less than 3 months, a third clinical training in a different centre will be required.
The clinical training must include:
- Direct participation in the execution of retroperitoneal sarcoma surgical procedures (at least 4 procedures at each centre)
- Direct participation in the execution of limb and truncal STS surgical procedures (at least 10 procedures at each centre)
- Direct participation in the execution of GIST surgical procedures (at least 2 procedures at each centre)
- Participation and attendance to ad hoc multidisciplinary conferences (“tumour board”) for presentation, discussion, regarding patient selection and therapeutic decision making (at least 3 meetings at each centre)
- Presence in in-hospital postoperative follow-up
Attendance at:
- At least one CTOS Annual Meeting
- RESURGE
- ESMO Sarcoma & Rare Cancers Congress
- At least one ESSO Congress, sarcoma track
Formulation and elaboration of 2 research projects
- Under the supervision of one of the reference centres to be presented at a congress and submitted for publication at a peer-reviewed journal. One of the projects will become the final thesis
Application
Conditions and process
You can apply for the programme if you:
- Are an active surgical oncologist with a preferential interest in STS, seeking advanced, structured training in the field
- Are a surgical oncology fellow with a preferential interest in STS with opportunity of basic and clinical research
- Have completed a general surgery residency and basic surgical oncology training and/or show a continued dedication to surgical oncology in their clinical practice
- Have a medical license from one of the countries of the EU
- Are involved or have solid plans to get involved in an established or new sarcoma programme
- Have a proficient level of English and/or the language spoken in the visited centres
To apply, send the following documents as a single PDF
- Application form duly completed
- Letter describing your motivation to participate in the programme
- Letter of recommendation from your mentor or Head of Department
- Short CV (maximum 2 pages) including a list of recent publications
- A picture
Fees & Educational Grants
Registration fees and funding opportunities
Administration fee
€ 1000
To be paid before starting the programme.
The ESSO Congress (sarcoma track) registration fee is paid separately. Special reduction applies to ESSTSS participants.
The ESSO Congress (sarcoma track) registration fee is paid separately. Special reduction applies to ESSTSS participants.
ESSO Educational Grants for ESSTSS
ESSO offers one educational grant of €2000 to ESSO members who are attending or planning to attend the ESSTSS Training Programme.
The aim of this grant is to help participants to complete the clinical training requirement included in the School programme.
50% of the amount of the grant will be transferred to the selected candidate once the clinical training has started. The remaining amount will be transferred to the participant at the end of the programme.
Eligibility criteria
- Candidates whose application to join the School has been approved by the School Board but who have not yet started the programme
- Current ESSTSS participants who have started but not yet completed the clinical training requirement
- Candidates who are planning to join the ESSTSS Training Programme but have not submitted their application yet
- Candidates should have already paid the School administration fee
- Candidates should be ESSO members at the time they submit their application
- The trainee should start the clinical training within one year following notification of the grant
- The clinical training requirement must take place in one of ESSTSS referral centres
- Previous recipients of an ESSO educational grant are not eligible
Documents to be provided (in a single pdf document and only in English) to ana.galan@essoweb.org:
- For participants already in the ESSTSS Training Programme: letter of confirmation from the Head of Department where the training is taking place or where it will take place
- For participants planning to join the ESSTSS Training Programme: motivation letter, recommendation letter from the Head of Department and CV (maximum 2 pages)
Additional requirements for selected candidates at the end of the programme
- Acknowledge the grant received from ESSO in the mandatory ESSTSS research requirement (congress presentation and/or published manuscript)
- Produce a complete report on their clinical training including pictures that ESSO will use on its Newsletter, website and social media