AO Trauma pays a small stipend as a contribution to accommodation and living costs (benchmark USD 550 per fellowship week in the United States, adjusted for the local price level using World Bank PPP data; paid in Swiss-franc equivalents). Travel and insurance are paid entirely by the fellow; AO Trauma does not arrange accommodation. No host fee published.
Deadline
Not published
Duration
6 to 12 weeks (AO Trauma Short-term International Fellowship)
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Clinical exposureAO Trauma host centre in paediatric surgery/paediatric trauma (33 beds; more than 1000 orthopaedic trauma cases and more than 150 polytrauma cases with ISS above 15 per year). Fellows may scrub in (no special licence required); research is listed as an additional activity. Dominant OR language is German.
Participation levelObservational pathway. No independent patient care or operative privileges are implied.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
Can an international surgeon apply?
≈Partially published
International applicants
Open to AO Trauma members worldwide; each application is reviewed by the national council of the applicant's country of employment, then the AO Trauma regional fellowship coordinator decides and places the fellow (the host-region coordinator confirms cross-region placements).
?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
No additional or special licence required to scrub in (host page).
—Not published
Language
No formal language requirement is published by the cited source.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
Not published.
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY86% of core application fields verifiedChecked 4 Oct 2026 · Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-04-02
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ commencement / intake✓ funding✓ benefits✓ accommodation / relocation✓ eligibility✓ international eligibility✓ registration✓ 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— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— visa / work authorisation · not published by the cited official source— Current deadline not yet published · not published by the cited official source
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineNo current deadline published in the cited evidence
Commencing dateIntake date not published
Application route / cycleAnnual central AO Trauma call. The most recent window (call for the 2027 programme) has ended; the call for the 2028 programme opens in spring 2027 (exact dates not published).
Official contactKai Ziebarth (head of department and surgeon in charge of fellows)
Previous participation in the AO Trauma Basic Principles and AO Trauma Advanced Principles courses
Orthopaedic trauma is the main part of practice
Active AO Trauma membership
Younger than 45 years in the year of application
Employment by a teaching hospital is recommended
Application documents
Curriculum vitae
Copy of AO Trauma Basic Principles and Advanced Principles course/activity certificate(s)
Copy of medical school diploma
Copy of passport
Optional: photograph and/or evidence of vaccinations and English language proficiency
Host centre additionally asks for: CV and recommendation by the supervisor of the home hospital
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
Short-term (6–12 weeks) AO Trauma International Fellowship placement in paediatric trauma at Inselspital Bern, allocated centrally by AO Trauma.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
AO Trauma stipend contribution; part of the worldwide AO Trauma fellowship community.
ACCOMMODATION & RELOCATION
Published housing information
✓ Official source mentions accommodation
⌂
Accommodation is mentioned in the published funding or benefits information: AO Trauma pays a small stipend as a contribution to accommodation and living costs (benchmark USD 550 per fellowship week in the United States, adjusted for the local price level using World Bank PPP data; paid in Swiss-franc equivalents). Travel and insurance are paid entirely by the fellow; AO Trauma does not arrange accommodation. No host fee published.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Inselspital Bern, Kinderchirurgie (paediatric surgery / paediatric trauma)
Bern University Hospital (Inselspital) paediatric surgery department, listed by AO Trauma as a fellowship host centre for general, paediatric, hand/wrist, foot/ankle and pelvic trauma.
Paediatric orthopaedics, paediatric trauma, hip-preservation and paediatric spine care
Inselspital lists PD Dr Ziebarth as the senior physician in its current paediatric-orthopaedics team. The service describes internationally recognised hip-preservation work and invites fellows worldwide to enquire about fellowship or observership attachments.
