Royal College Teasdale-Corti Humanitarian Award

The Teasdale-Corti Humanitarian Award acknowledges and celebrates Canadian physicians who, while providing health care or emergency medical services, go beyond the accepted norms of routine practice, which may include exposure to personal risk. The recipient's action will exemplify altruism and integrity, courage and perseverance in the alleviation of human suffering.

This award is named in honour of Dr. Lucille Teasdale and Dr. Piero Corti, a physician couple who devoted their professional careers to healing, teaching, and improving the condition of the population residing in the poverty stricken Gulu region of Uganda. For 35 years, the couple served in this region where there are frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases, and provided medical care throughout nearly 25 years of Ugandan civil war and unrest. Their medical and surgical skills saved thousands of lives; their teachings instilled hope for a better future in many; and their perseverance transformed a small missionary dispensary into the St. Mary's-Lacor Hospital, which is now a modern teaching hospital and medical centre almost entirely staffed by Ugandan health care professionals.

Eligibility

• Canadian physicians whose current practice reflects altruism and integrity, courage and perseverance in the alleviation of human suffering; or upon those who have made such a contribution in the past.
• Open to Canadian physicians worldwide.

Submissions
Nominations will be widely solicited and may be submitted by any Fellow of the Royal College. Nominators will be asked to describe the nominee's exceptional contribution, which may have been made in Canada or abroad, as well as to provide a curriculum vitae for the nominee and two letters of support from Fellows of the Royal College. Only one award recipient will be named in any given year; however, the award may not necessarily be bestowed annually. Please send submissions electronically to awards@royalcollege.ca.

Selection
The Awards Committee of the Royal College, who selects the recipient annually at their fall meeting, may add to the list of nominations.

Award
The recipient will receive a memento and the Royal College may make a donation to the relief organization with which the recipient is affiliated. The travel and maintenance expenses of the recipient and a guest will be paid in accordance with Royal College guidelines.

Closing date
5 p.m. (EST) September 1, 2011. Late applications will not be considered.