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Founded 1957 · Britain & Ireland · USA · Canada

A travelling fellowship of surgeons, across three nations.

The James IV Association unites distinguished surgeons through the exchange of knowledge, friendship and the enduring tradition of the travelling fellowship.
– Our Purpose –

“To advance surgery and surgical fellowship through travel, the exchange of knowledge, and friendship without frontier.”

– What We Do

An Association built on exchange

Membership

By nomination and election –  join a community of surgical leaders

Travelling Fellowships

The cornerstone of the Association: surgeons abroad, learning in the field. 

Three Regions

Britain & Ireland, the United States and Canada, each with its own chapter. 

Meetings & Events

Annual meetings, regional gatherings and the fellowship calendar. 

– Fellowship Spotlight

“The six weeks that reshaped how I operate.”

Each year the Association funds travelling fellows to visit leading centres across the world. Their reports form a living record of surgical practice — and of the friendships that define the James IV.

1947

YEAR FOUNDED

3

Regional Chapters

60+

Years Fellowship

400+

Fellows Worldwide
– Latest

News & announcements

Annual Meetings

2026 Annual Meeting convenes in Edinburgh this Autumn

Registration is now open for members and invited guests

Fellowships

Travelling Fellowships reports from the 2025 cohort

Six fellows reflect on placements across four continents. 

ANNOUNCEMENT

New chapter name confirmed for Britain & Ireland

Welcoming members from across the region under one banner. 

Membership is by nomination – and by tradition.

If you have been invited to join, or wish to nominate a colleague, begin here.