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 Universitätsspital Basel, DKBN - Spinale Chirurgie. 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, pain management, minimally invasive surgery, anterior surgery, spinal navigation, intradural surgery. Other activities: interdisciplinary Spine Center (pain medicine, rheumatology, neurology, psychology, physiotherapy), clinical research, basic research (biomechanics, tissue engineering).
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: certificate of completion of medical education; visa requirements depending on country of origin (fellow's responsibility)
✓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.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
The Basel host explicitly assigns visa arrangements to the fellow, depending on country of origin; sponsorship is not promised.
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY97% 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✓ visa / work authorisation✓ 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
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; individual host dates follow selection. The next application window is April–May 2027, with results in September 2027.
Application route / cycleAO Spine will open 2028 applications in April 2027 and close them in May 2027; results are planned for September 2027. Host selection does not guarantee placement at Basel.
Official contactArne Mehrkens — 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
Letter of motivation
Curriculum vitae including list of publications
Copy of medical diploma or specialisation diploma (orthopaedics/neurosurgery)
Most recent AO Spine course/event certificate
One recommendation letter from a senior surgeon (signed, contact details, no older than 6 months)
Copy of passport
Proof of English proficiency (certificate or self-statement)
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
AO Spine short-term international fellowship host centre. Distinct from other catalogue rows already listed for Basel.
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 Universitätsspital Basel, DKBN - Spinale Chirurgie
Universitätsspital Basel, DKBN - Spinale Chirurgie: 25 department beds; about 1200 surgical cases per year; operating-room language German; team English written/spoken written (5) / spoken (5).
Fellowship supervisor / program leadershipOfficial profile & photo verified
Position / status
Head, Spinal Surgery
Affiliation
University Hospital Basel / DKBN Spine Centre
Clinical focus
Complex spinal surgery and interdisciplinary spine-centre care
The University Hospital Basel AO Spine profile identifies Professor Schären as head of the host department, which combines clinical spine care with biomechanics, tissue-engineering and translational research.
Degenerative spine disease, spinal trauma and intervertebral-disc research
Qualifications
FMH Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology; Executive MBA
Professor Mehrkens completed clinical and research spine fellowship training in Toronto and has served as a senior spinal surgeon in Basel since 2018. The hospital describes him as lead of its Disc Degeneration research group.
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