Comprehensive · Missing application deadline, commencement date
✓ 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
Historical official figure: AUD 90,000 per annum as of 2018, with possible additional private surgical-assisting earnings; confirm all current terms directly
Deadline
Not published
Duration
6 or 12 months
Hands-on
Unclear — confirm privileges
Last checked
17 Aug 2026
Duration · published6 or 12 months
Clinical exposureDaily theatre, clinic and ward activity with a typical week of 5–6 operating sessions, 3–4 clinics and one research session; the official page reports an annual case log of approximately 350 procedures
Funding · publishedHistorical official figure: AUD 90,000 per annum as of 2018, with possible additional private surgical-assisting earnings; confirm all current terms directly
DestinationAustralia
Participation levelClinical participation and hands-on restrictions must be confirmed directly with the host.
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.
✓Published by official source
Required training level
Specialty board certification in orthopaedic surgery or neurosurgery · Eligibility for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) · Certificate of good standing · Three references from previous supervising surgeons
✓Published by official source
Programme classification
Clinical or combined training pathway; exact duties remain appointment-specific.
?Confirm directly with host
Hands-on restrictions
Hands-on participation and operative restrictions are not explicitly published.
≈Partially published
Medical registration
Eligibility for AHPRA registration is an explicit minimum requirement on the official programme page.
?Confirm directly with host
Licensing examinations
Any examination requirement must be confirmed with the relevant regulator and host.
—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
Historical official figure: AUD 90,000 per annum as of 2018, with possible additional private surgical-assisting earnings; confirm all current terms directly
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
66% of core application fields verified
Checked 17 Aug 2026. Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-02-13. 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✓ duration✓ benefits✓ eligibility✓ registration✓ application process✓ required documents✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified faculty photograph✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— Current availability unconfirmed · current availability unconfirmed— positions · queued for source review— commencement / intake · queued for source review— Funding information not published · historical evidence only— accommodation / relocation · queued for source review— international eligibility · queued for source review— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— visa / work authorisation · queued for source review— Current deadline not yet published · not published by the cited official source— application portal · not applicable to this pathway
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineNo current deadline published in the cited evidence
Commencing dateIntake date not published
Application route / cycleApply by email with a curriculum vitae, cover letter and preferred start date; current intake availability is not published
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
Specialty board certification in orthopaedic surgery or neurosurgery
Eligibility for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Certificate of good standing
Three references from previous supervising surgeons
Registration, licence & examinations
Eligibility for AHPRA registration is an explicit minimum requirement on the official programme page.
Visa / work authorisation
Visa sponsorship or work-authorisation requirements are not stated by the cited source.
Application documents
Current curriculum vitae
Cover letter
Preferred commencement date
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 6- or 12-month clinical spine fellowship combining high-volume operating, clinic, ward and research exposure. The direct host page publishes the stipend, weekly schedule, case log, research expectations and application route.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
The official page publishes conference travel support, a AUD 10,000 annual research fund and a minimum of two projects during a six-month placement.
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 Spine Ortho / Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science
Spine Ortho describes a high-volume specialist practice led by Dr John Choi. The AIMS fellowship directory records the programme within its accredited musculoskeletal training network.
Fellowship supervisor / program leadershipOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Orthopaedic spine surgeon and AIMS fellowship supervisor
Affiliation
Spine Ortho / Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science
Clinical focus
Robotic, endoscopic and minimally invasive spine surgery, disc replacement and complex reconstruction
Qualifications
MBChB, FRACS, FAOrthA
John Choi is listed in the cited programme evidence as fellowship supervisor / program leadership for AIMS Spine Surgical Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Robotic, endoscopic and minimally invasive spine surgery, disc replacement and complex reconstruction. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Dr Choi leads the Spine Ortho fellowship. His official profile describes more than 300 spine operations a year, over 5,000 local procedures and supervision within an AIMS programme that has trained more than 50 surgeons.
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
The official surgeon profile states that the AIMS fellowship programme has trained more than 50 surgeons.
APPLICANT PROFILE
International graduates of an orthopaedic or neurosurgery residency who are pursuing advanced spine training
