Host Institution
University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita
Department of Internal Medicine
1010 N. Kansas
Wichita, KS 67214

Fellowship Contact
Andrea Vogelman
Department Director
avogelman@kumc.edu 

Fellowship Director
William Salyers, M.D.
Chair of Internal Medicine

International Lebanese Medical Association, Kansas chapter

The International Lebanese Medical Association is a non-political, non-denominational association with chapters in more than 22 countries around the world. The United States chapter was formed by individuals of Lebanese heritage who share common interests in health, education and research within the United States. This research fellowship is sponsored by the Kansas chapter of the ILMA.

ILMA Contacts

Chadi B. Sarraf, MD, Board President
Internal Medicine/Hospital Medicine
Chadysarraf@gmail.com 

Rami Mortada, MD, Board Member
Endocrinology
ramimortada@outlook.com

The general goal of the ILMA Research Fellowship is for the fellow to conduct clinical research in the discipline of interest, if possible. The objective is to fortify departments and centers within the KU School of Medicine-Wichita with medically trained researchers who will elevate research productivity. The research fellowship will provide fellows with an opportunity to conduct clinical research in a collegial environment with faculty, clinical fellows and/or residents. Research fellows will collaborate in the clinical learning environment, although no direct clinical care will be allowed unless appropriate licensing and skill are documented. Research fellows will learn side-by-side with other residents and fellows and attend grand rounds, journal clubs and other educational curricula.

Skills Acquired

The following skill sets are ideally what each of the research fellows should obtain during the fellowship.

• Understand how to work efficiently as an investigator within a clinical research team.
• Understand research ethics and professional practice through certification in Human Subjects Protection, Good Clinical Practice and the Responsible Conduct of Research.
• Assist in the writing of research protocols, including searching appropriate literature, research design and methodology and data analysis methodology.
• Complete the process of applications to the appropriate Institutional Review Board(s).
• Conduct a research project following appropriate methodology to identify and recruit subjects, consent subjects and obtain data through assessment of subjects, chart review, database review or other appropriate methodologies.
• Interpret data based on appropriate analysis by a biostatistician.
• Assist in the dissemination of research through development of posters and publication-ready manuscripts.
• Review publication-ready manuscripts to learn critical review.

Experiences

Fellows are expected to complete a research project during their research year. Each research project should result in some form of presentable material within the scientific community (e.g., poster or podium presentation, scientific exhibit, research article in a peer reviewed journal). Fellows also will conduct critical reviews of submitted manuscripts for the Kansas Journal of Medicine

Fellows will participate in department/specialty education sessions as appropriate, such as journal clubs and grand rounds. Fellows on J-1 visas are required to participate in cultural exchange activities and will attend specifically defined sessions once each month.

During the fellow’s year-long research appointment, he/she will function under the supervision of the chair. Direct daily supervision will be conducted by the mentoring faculty in the department or center where the fellow will be working. Fellows will be assessed every three months by the mentoring faculty with whom they work. These evaluation sessions also will focus on improving any areas of weakness and achieving future career goals.

Fellowship applicants must meet the following academic requirements:

• Lebanese citizenship
• Medical doctorate (i.e., M.D. degree or equivalent) from an accredited Lebanese university within the past five years: Lebanese University, Beirut Arab University, Saint Joseph University, University of Balamand, Lebanese American University, American University of Beirut, Saint Georges University and Holy Spirit University of Kaslik.
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 or score of 70%.
• Passed USMLE steps 1 and 2 with competitive scores for a U.S. residency program.
• Certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

If the applicant has graduated from a medical school or residency program where the language of instruction was not in English, the applicant is required to take a standardized English proficiency exam. The applicant must pass this exam with an acceptable score to enter the fellowship.

• International applicants: Any non-U.S. citizen or permanent resident will follow the processes and procedures established by the KU Medical Center’s Office of International Programs.
• If the research fellow needs a visa, the KU School of Medicine-Wichita will sponsor the person on a J-1 visa through the Exchange Visitor Program.

Learn more about the J-1 program on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

The University of Kansas Medical Center, which includes the School of Medicine-Wichita, is designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor J-1 exchange visitors in the categories of professor, research scholar, short-term research scholar, student and student intern. The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program was designed by the State Department to foster mutual understanding as well as cultural and educational exchanges between the United States and other countries. In the Federal Register, 22 CFR Part 62 establishes the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program and outlines its various regulatory requirements and parameters. All exchange visitors and sponsoring institutions must adhere to these regulatory requirements and parameters. Sponsoring institutions have the authority to issue DS-2019 documents (Certificates of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (J-Nonimmigrant), which allows participants or exchange visitors to apply or change status to a J-1 nonimmigrant visa.