COCWD Scholarship to Attend 2023 AAP National Conference

Call for Applications: COCWD National Conference & Exhibition Scholarship/Mentorship Application

Apply Here by June 12, 2023 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Children with Disabilities (COCWD) is dedicated to the mentorship and support of pediatric trainees and early career physicians interested in careers caring for children with disabilities and medical complexity.

The COCWD is offering up to 2 scholarships for pediatric trainees and/or early career physicians to attend the AAP National Conference & Exhibition in-person October 20-24, 2023 in Washington, DC. Each recipient will be awarded a scholarship (up to $1,500) to support conference registration and reimbursement of related travel expenses (airfare, lodging, etc.).
Each scholarship recipient will be required to complete the following activities:

• Attend the live and in-person COCWD program (hosted jointly with the AAP Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics) titled, “Building Systems for Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs” on Saturday, October 21, 1 – 5 pm Eastern Time.
• Attend at least two additional educational sessions sponsored by the COCWD. A complete list of sessions sponsored by the COCWD will be available by late summer 2023.
• Participate in a mentorship session with a member of the COCWD Executive Committee and participate in a 6-month post scholarship follow up session with the mentor. Note: AAP staff will schedule and coordinate these mentorship sessions. The first mentorship session may occur in-person at the National Conference (if availability allows) and/or virtually before or after the conference.
• Develop a short (300 words) description of your experience at the National Conference for inclusion in a weekly email update to all COCWD members. The COCWD staff manager will collaborate with each recipient to provide further instructions on this activity after the conference.

Applicants are required to meet the following criteria:

• Must be a medical student, resident, fellowship trainee, or early career physician (within 10 years of completing residency or fellowship).
• Must be a member of the AAP COCWD (to join the COCWD, click here).
• Must have an interest in caring for children with disabilities and/or medical complexity.
• Must have availability to participate/attend the in-person AAP National Conference & Exhibition October 20-24, 2023.

The COCWD strongly encourages those historically underrepresented in medicine to apply for this opportunity, as well as other minoritized groups and community members. This includes historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, trainees and early career physicians with disabilities, and first generation college graduates.

If you are interested in this opportunity, complete a short application by June 12, 2023. Your application will be reviewed by members of the COCWD Executive Committee, and the COCWD liaison from the Academy’s Section on Pediatric Trainees. All applicants will be informed of results by mid July 2023. Apply Here

Note: By offering this scholarship opportunity, the COCWD aims to identify and mentor future leaders in the field. As such, the COCWD Executive Committee may call on scholarship recipients to participate in various education, policy and advocacy activities in the future.