Well sourced · Missing funding, entry requirements
✓ Primary programme source linked✓ Dated source review current— Current cycle evidenced✓ Faculty identity sourced— Institution mark verified
DECISION SUMMARY
What matters before you keep reading.
Eligibility
Requirements published
Funding
Not published
Deadline
2026 cycle closed on 31 March 2026; next deadline not yet published
Duration
2 weeks
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Last checked
13 Aug 2026
Duration · published2 weeks
Clinical exposureObservation of varied spine operations at Tohoku University Hospital and affiliated hospitals, with the itinerary agreed between the selected fellow and host centres
Funding · not publishedTravel support up to JPY 300,000 under the university's policy
DestinationJapan
Participation levelObservational pathway. No independent patient care or operative privileges are implied.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
What the official evidence currently supports
Decision-critical fields are separated into confirmed facts, partial information and points requiring direct confirmation.
—Not published
International applicant eligibility
The cited source does not explicitly confirm international-applicant eligibility.
—Not published
Required training level
Training-level and qualification requirements are not fully published.
✓Published by official source
Programme classification
Observational pathway; no independent patient care is implied.
?Confirm directly with host
Hands-on restrictions
Hands-on clinical activity is not described for this observational pathway.
—Not published
Medical registration
Registration requirements are not published by the cited source.
?Confirm directly with host
Licensing examinations
No licensing-examination information is published.
—Not published
Language requirements
No formal language requirement is published by the cited source.
—Not published
Visa or work authorisation
Visa sponsorship and work-authorisation information are not published.
✓Published by official source
Funding availability
Travel support up to JPY 300,000 under the university's policy
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
66% of core application fields verified
Checked 13 Aug 2026. Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-02-09. Every unresolved field keeps its exact evidence state—unpublished, not yet researched, historical, conflicting, inaccessible or not applicable—so an absence is never converted into a fact.
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ commencement / intake✓ benefits✓ deadline✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified faculty photograph✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ verification date— positions · queued for source review— Funding information not published · queued for source review— accommodation / relocation · queued for source review— eligibility · queued for source review— international eligibility · queued for source review— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— Registration information not published · queued for source review— visa / work authorisation · queued for source review— Verified institution logo not available · queued for source review— accreditation / organisation source · queued for source review
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadline2026 cycle closed on 31 March 2026; next deadline not yet published
Commencing dateA mutually agreed two-week period between September 2026 and March 2027 for the published cycle
Application route / cycleThe verified 2026–2027 cycle offered one spine place; monitor the department's English news page for the next call
Official contactDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku Universitytohokuseikei@e-mail.jp
Deadlines and intake dates can change between cycles. The data-quality ledger above explicitly labels application fields that the cited official source does not publish.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
Published entry requirements
Clinical / academic eligibility
Not published by the cited official source.
Registration, licence & examinations
AHPRA, USMLE/COMLEX, ECFMG, medical-board or local-licence requirements are not stated by the cited source.
Visa / work authorisation
Visa sponsorship or work-authorisation requirements are not stated by the cited source.
Application documents
Completed Kokubun Spine Fellowship application form
Curriculum vitae
Recommendation letter
Licensing, visa and document rules depend on the individual programme and application cycle. OrthoFellow does not infer USMLE, AHPRA, ECFMG, recommendation-letter or visa requirements from the country alone.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
A funded two-week travelling spine fellowship for one orthopaedic surgeon per published cycle. The 2026 deadline has passed, so the listing is clearly marked for monitoring rather than shown as currently open.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
Partial travel-expense support and a tailored two-week clinical visit across university and affiliated spine services.
Benefits may depend on appointment type, training level, visa status and the active academic year. OrthoFellow keeps stipend and benefits separate so a salary figure is not mistaken for the full package.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Tohoku University Hospital and affiliated hospitals
Tohoku University describes a long academic spine tradition and a hospital network providing exposure to varied spine operations. The named programme honours Professor Shoichi Kokubun and has previously hosted international spine surgeons.
Programme contact and host chairOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Affiliation
Tohoku University School of Medicine
Clinical focus
Spine training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Toshimi Aizawa is listed in the cited programme evidence as programme contact and host chair for Kokubun Spine Fellowship Program. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Toshimi Aizawa is listed by the official programme source as programme contact and host chair. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Names and fellowship roles come from the cited programme source. A green “individual profile verified” label means the position, qualifications and biography were also checked against an official personal or institutional profile. OrthoFellow displays a portrait only when it can be tied to an official profile or faculty source; otherwise the host institution brandmark is shown, with initials retained only when neither image is available. Faculty rosters may change.
PROGRAM HISTORY
Published fellowship history
Established in honour of Professor Shoichi Kokubun, whose department advanced cervical myelopathy, lumbar degeneration, spinal tumour and deformity surgery.
APPLICANT PROFILE
Orthopaedic surgeons; the programme specifically selects one Kokubun Spine Fellow per published cycle
