AO CMF Fellowships
The AO CMF Short-term International Fellowship provides specialized surgical techniques for trained surgeons interested in advancing their skills in craniomaxillofacial surgery.
Applications for the 2028 Fellowship Program will open in April 2027.
The AO CMF Fellowship offers a unique educational experience to the most promising young surgeons in the entire field of craniomaxillofacial surgery.
What is the AO CMF Short-term International Fellowship?
Our AO CMF Short-term International Fellowship Program opens the door to AO CMF’s global community, offering opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and meaningful professional connections.
As a fellow, you’ll train with leading AO craniomaxillofacial experts in renowned centers worldwide and gain exposure to the full spectrum of CMF surgical procedures. With short term fellowships from 6 to 8 weeks, AO CMF provides an inspiring pathway to deepen your expertise and grow as a future leader in craniomaxillofacial surgery.
Open call
April 2027
Close call
May 2027
Results
September 2027
What will you gain as an AO CMF fellow?
Strengthen your surgical abilities, gain valuable insight from experts around the world, form lasting collaborations and expand your global network.
Clinical development
Gain advanced craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgery experience within different subspecialties (implant, preposthetic, reconstruction, oncological, etc.)
Mentorship
Gain mentorship, share experiences, and learn from a global network of AO experts.
Career advancement
Build the skills, connections, and experience to take the next step in your career.
Promo 1 Fares
"The AO CMF Fellowship was a watershed moment in my life, broadening my perspective and aligning my research interests with gold-standard surgical practices."
Raissa Fares, Brazil—CMF Fellow 2025
AO CMF Short-term International Fellowship Program
The call for application for the 2027 AO CMF program is now closed.
The call for applications for 2028 program will open again in the spring of 2027.
Stay informed about the 2028 open call:
Candidate requirements
We aim to identify and support the most promising young surgeons who are committed to a career in craniomaxillofacial surgery. Through the AO CMF Fellowship Program, we help participants expand their clinical knowledge and skills and deepen their understanding of CMF practice.
AO CMF Fellowships are highly competitive, and the number of applications exceeds the available fellowship positions. Applicants are evaluated by the AO CMF Regional Fellowship Coordinators and approved by the AO CMF Regional Boards based on the following criteria.
Eligibility criteria for AO CMF Fellows
- Graduation from a training program in one of the CMF specialties
- Must have completed an AO CMF MFT or any other AO CMF course (with hands-on practical exercises)
- At least two years' membership prior to applying for a Fellowship application—this is because the AO supports fellows who are committed to staying involved with the Foundation, and who share our mission to advance craniomaxillofacial care
- Younger than 40 years old in the year of application (Exceptions may be possible depending on the applicant's origin due to different education paths)
- Employment by a teaching hospital is recommended
- Engage in lifelong learning: AO is a worldwide community of health care professionals in different fields. Diversity and inclusion is one of our guiding principles. AO has worked on an attractive learning pathway dedicated to Diversity, Inclusion and Mentorship—AO Access. It is mandatory that AO CMF fellowship applicants complete the AO Access Breaking Biases Pathway.
Application process
Your application requires the submission of supporting documents. To streamline the process, have your files ready before you begin. (PDF and JPG formats are accepted only).
Download example PDF to see what information will be required.
Only complete applications will be reviewed. Please ensure your AO CMF membership is active before applying.
Please prepare and submit the following documents:
- Letter of motivation
- Most updated curriculum vitae (CV)
- Copy of medical or dental school diploma(s)
- AO CMF MFT course certificate(s) and/or AO CMF course with hands-on practical exercises certificate(s)
- Two recommendation letters: from your department head and an AO member (No older than 6 months)
- Copy of passport
- Certificate of AO Access Journey—Breaking Biases Pathway
- Optional: Photo, vaccination records, and proof of English proficiency
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Host centers
Discover our host centers worldwide and find the best match for you!
Financial support
During your fellowship, you will receive a small stipend to help with accommodation and daily living expenses.
Please note:
- The stipend is only a contribution toward travel, accommodation, and meals, and may not cover all costs.
- AO CMF does not arrange accommodation in the host country.
- Travel and insurance costs must be fully covered by the fellow.
Stipends are based on a benchmark of USD 550 per week for fellowships in the United States. Stipend amounts for other countries are adjusted according to local price levels using the World Bank’s purchasing power parity (PPP) data. Payments are made in Swiss francs. The World Bank data can be accessed here.
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A dedicated online community for current AO fellows, alumni and surgeons interested in joining a Fellowship.
More information
Questions about our Short-term International Fellowship Program? Read the FAQ.
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A day in the life of an AO CMF fellow
Step into a day in the life of an AO CMF fellow and explore how clinical practice, learning, and collaboration with leading experts come together during the AO CMF fellowship experience.
Selection criteria
We aim to identify the most promising young surgeons who dedicate their practice to craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgery and support them in deepening their understanding and extending their knowledge and skills.
Selection criteria for AO CMF Fellows
AO Fellowships are in high demand, and we receive more applications than we can accommodate.
Fellows are selected by the AO CMF Regional Fellowship Coordinators and confirmed by their AO CMF Regional Boards, based on the following criteria:
- Graduation from a training program in one of the CMF specialties
- Must have completed an AO CMF MFT or any other AO CMF course (with hands-on practical exercises)
- At least two years' membership prior to applying for a Fellowship application—this is because the AO supports fellows who are committed to staying involved with the Foundation, and who share our mission to advance craniomaxillofacial care
- Younger than 40 years old in the year of application (exceptions may be possible depending on the applicant's origin due to different education paths)
- Employment by a teaching hospital is recommended
- Engage in lifelong learning: AO is a worldwide community of health care professionals in different fields. Diversity and inclusion is one of our guiding principles. AO has worked on an attractive learning pathway dedicated to Diversity, Inclusion and Mentorship—AO Access
- It is mandatory that AO CMF fellowship applicants complete the AO Access Breaking Biases Pathway.
Application process
The application requires the upload of supporting documentation. Please have these files ready for upload before you begin to fill in your application. (Accepted file formats are PDF, JPG)
Download example PDF to see what information will be required.
You will need the following documents:
- Letter of motivation
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Copy of AO CMF MFT course certificate(s) and/or any other AO CMF course (with hands-on practical exercises) certificate(s)
- Copy of your medical and/or dental school diploma(s)
- Two letters of recommendation (from your departmental head and any AO member who knows you personally)
- Copy of your passport
- A copy of "AO Access Journey—Interrupting your unconscious biases module” certificate (mandatory)
Submission of a photograph and/or evidence of vaccinations and your English language proficiency is optional.
Only complete applications will be considered. Make sure you have an active AO CMF membership.
Stipends
During your fellowship, you will receive a small stipend fund to contribute to your accommodation and living costs.
Please note that the stipend is a contribution to the costs for travel, accommodation and meals and may not necessarily cover all the costs. AO CMF is not able to arrange accommodation in the host country. Travel as well as insurance costs must be funded entirely by the fellow.
The AO CMF Fellowship stipends are calculated using a benchmark of USD 550 for 1 week's fellowship in the United States. The stipends for all other countries are adjusted for the local price level. To calculate the adjustment, the price level ratio of purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factor to market exchange rate provided by the World Bank is used. The World Bank data can be accessed here. The stipends are paid in Swiss francs equivalents.