Entry requirements published; check international conditions
Funding
No programme fee is stated by AO. AO pays the fellow a small stipend toward accommodation and living costs, calculated from a benchmark of USD 550 per week of fellowship in the United States and adjusted by PPP, paid in Swiss-franc equivalents; travel and insurance are paid entirely by the fellow; AO does not arrange accommodation.
Deadline
AO Spine's 2028 call closes in May 2027; the exact day is not yet published.
Duration
4 to 12 weeks
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Clinical exposureShort-term AO Spine fellowship (observership-style placement) at University Hospital Bern (Inselspital), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The host page states that AO fellows have an opportunity to scrub in (scrub-in yes; no additional special licence required); it does not say whether independent hands-on patient care is permitted. Techniques listed by the host: standard open, endoscopy, tuberculosis surgery, pain management, minimally invasive surgery, anterior surgery, spinal navigation, thoracoscopy. Other activities: research activities; voluntary on-call service; AO courses if applicable.
Participation levelObservational pathway. No independent patient care or operative privileges are implied.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
Can an international surgeon apply?
≈Partially published
International applicants
AO Spine fellowships are open worldwide to applicants who meet AO membership and course criteria; the host centre is allocated by AO.
?Confirm directly with host
Clinical role
Observational pathway; no independent patient care is implied. Hands-on clinical activity is not described for this observational pathway.
≈Partially published
Medical registration
Host scrub-in note: scrub-in yes; no additional special licence required. Documents requested by host: CV; copy of medical license; copy of passport; confirmation of employer outlining return to previous workplace; passport photo for badge; Data Protection Agreement (provided by the centre)
✓Published by official source
Language
AO Spine requires proof of English proficiency, either a certificate or a self-statement, for its short-term international fellowship application. No uniform test score or host working-language rule is published; confirm local requirements with the centre.
—Not published
Visa or work authorisation
Visa sponsorship is not published in the Bern host entry or the reviewed AO Spine programme page.
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY93% of core application fields verifiedChecked 2026-10-14 · Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-04-12
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ commencement / intake✓ funding✓ benefits✓ accommodation / relocation✓ eligibility✓ international eligibility✓ language✓ registration✓ deadline✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified faculty photograph✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— positions · not published by the cited official source— visa / work authorisation · not published by the cited official source
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineAO Spine's 2028 call closes in May 2027; the exact day is not yet published.
Commencing date2028 AO Spine programme; host dates follow selection. Applications reopen April–May 2027, with results in September 2027.
Application route / cycleThe network application window is April–May 2027 for 2028, with results in September 2027. A Bern placement is subject to selection and host agreement.
Official contactMoritz Caspar Deml — surgeon responsible for fellows in the AO Spine host directory
Spine physician, or specialised in orthopaedics, neurosurgery or trauma surgery, with a strong interest in spine surgery
Previous participation in at least one AO course or AO event (online or face to face)
At least two years of AO Spine membership before applying (active membership required)
Has not taken part in a spine fellowship in the past two years (except self-funded)
Up to 45 years old at the time of application
Application documents
Published by official source
AO application: motivation letter, CV/publications, medical or specialist diploma, latest AO Spine event certificate, recent signed senior-surgeon recommendation, passport and English-proficiency evidence
Bern additionally requests medical-licence and passport copies, employer confirmation of return to the previous workplace, badge photograph and its data-protection agreement
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
AO Spine short-term international fellowship host centre. Distinct from other catalogue rows already listed for Bern.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
AO Spine fellowship stipend as above; no salary is mentioned.
ACCOMMODATION & RELOCATION
Published housing information
✓ Official source mentions accommodation
⌂
AO Spine's short-term international fellowship offers a stipend contribution toward accommodation and living costs, but AO Spine does not arrange housing. Travel and insurance remain the fellow's responsibility. Confirm this host's own housing options directly.
HOST INSTITUTION
About University Hospital Bern (Inselspital), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
University Hospital Bern (Inselspital), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery: 65 department beds; about 900 surgical cases per year; operating-room language German; team English written/spoken written (5) / spoken (5).
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