AO Spine Short-term International Fellowship
The AO Spine Short-term International Fellowship provides specialized surgical techniques for trainer orthopedic and neurosurgeons perusing further skills in spine surgery.
What is AO Spine's Short-term International Fellowship?
Our AO Spine Short-term International Fellowship program opens the door to AO Spine's global community, offering opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and meaningful professional connections.
As a fellow, you will train with leading AO Spine experts in renowned centers worldwide and gain exposure to the full spectrum of spine surgical procedures. With flexible short-term fellowships from 4 to 12 weeks, aO Spine provides an inspiring pathway to deepen your expertise and grow as a future leader in spine surgery.
Open call
15 April 2026
Close callÂ
20 May 2026
Results
10 September 2026
What you will gain as an AO Spine 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 spine surgery experience across degenerative infectious, deformity, oncologic.
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.
AO Spine Short-term International Fellowship Program
The call for application for the 2027 AO Spine program is now closed.
Stay informed about the 2028 Open Call
Candidate requirements
We seek to identify highly motivated young surgeons in orthopedics, neurosurgery, or trauma surgery who have a strong interest in spine surgery. Our goal is to support these individuals and expanding their skills to advance their careers in spine care.
AO Spine Fellowships attract far more applicants than available spots, so take the time to submit your strongest application. We aim to select fellows who will continue to grow, contribute, and stay connected within the global AO Spine community.
Eligibility criteria for AO Spine fellows:
- Be a spine physician or specialized in orthopedic, neurosurgery, or trauma surgery with a strong interest in spine surgery.
- Previous participation in at least one AO Course or one AO event (online or face to face)
- 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 spine care
- Have not participated in a Spine Fellowship in the past two years (except self-funded)
- Up to 45 years old at the time of application
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. (only file formats PDF and JPG are accepted)
Download example PDF to see what information will be required.
* Only complete applications will be considered. Make sure you have an active AO Spine membership.
Please prepare and submit the following documents:
- Letter of motivation
- Curriculum vitae (including list of publications)
- Copy of medical diploma or specialization diploma (neuro/ortho)
- The most recent AO Spine course/event certificate
- 1 recommendation letter from a senior surgeon (signature and contact details)
- Copy of passport
- English proficiency (certificate or self-statement of competency)
Not a member yet?
Connect with the AO Spine community and get access to exclusive member privileges.
AO Spine fellowship 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 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 Spine 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 Spine 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.
Join myAO Fellowship groups
A dedicated online community for current AO fellows, alumni and surgeons interested to join a Fellowship
Global peer-verified platform
Join vibrant communities
Global community events
Structured clinical discussions
More information
Questions about our Short-term International Fellowship Program
AO Spine offers multiple fellowship programs
This program is exclusively available to members from Latin America who are currently completing a long-term fellowship at an AO Spine host center in the region. Click here to find out all about our AO Spine LATAM Associate Fellow program.
Designed exclusively for Latin American members, it provides an invaluable opportunity for career advancement while enhancing patient care. Click here to visit our International Exchange program dedicated website.
AO Spine North America offers long-term fellowships for North American residents. For further information, please visit the AO North America website.
If you have any questions, please contact fellowship@aona.org.