Faculty / program leadership: Macarena López Pliego · Miguel Ángel Giráldez Sánchez
Profile completeness87%
Comprehensive · Missing application deadline
DECISION SUMMARY
Key facts at a glance
Eligibility
International route mentioned
Funding
AO Trauma pays a small stipend as a contribution to travel, accommodation and meals; it may not cover all costs. Benchmark: USD 550 for one week's fellowship in the United States; stipends for other countries are adjusted by the World Bank PPP price-level ratio and paid in Swiss francs equivalents. AO Trauma does not arrange accommodation; travel and insurance costs are borne by the fellow. No host administration fee is published on the host page.
Deadline
Not published
Duration
6 to 12 weeks (AO Trauma fellowship programme standard; host-specific placement length is set by the regional fellowship coordinator)
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Clinical exposureShort-term AO Trauma hosted placement in the Polytrauma, Septic and Reconstruction Unit. The host reports an opportunity for AO fellows to scrub in; participation in operative procedures requires either board certification in orthopaedic and trauma surgery or a medical degree with official documentation of active enrolment in an orthopaedic and trauma residency programme, plus valid professional liability insurance. This is a short hosted placement, not an independent clinical post, so treat it as observation with host-approved supervised participation. Host volumes (self-reported): more than 1,000 orthopaedic trauma cases per year and more than 150 polytrauma cases with ISS above 15 per year; 97 department beds. Subspecialty areas listed: General trauma, Pediatric, Hand and wrist, Foot and ankle, Pelvis/acetabulum, Septic, Spine, Oncology, Peripheral nerve.
Participation levelObservational pathway. No independent patient care or operative privileges are implied.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
Can an international surgeon apply?
≈Partially published
International applicants
Applicants apply centrally through AO Trauma (active AO Trauma membership required). The application is reviewed first by the national council of the applicant's country of employment and then placed by the regional fellowship coordinator; a fellow may be placed in a different AO Trauma region (the host region's coordinator confirms the placement).
?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
Participation in operative procedures requires board certification in orthopaedic and trauma surgery, or a medical degree with official documentation of active enrolment in an orthopaedic and trauma residency programme; valid professional liability insurance is mandatory. Spanish Ministry of Health authorisation of the training stay is also described on the host page (documents listed under application documents).
—Not published
Language
No formal language requirement is published by the cited source.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
Spanish Ministry of Health authorisation of the training stay is required (see documents); the visa type is not specified.
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY86% of core application fields verifiedChecked 3 Oct 2026 · Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-04-01
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ funding✓ benefits✓ accommodation / relocation✓ eligibility✓ international eligibility✓ registration✓ visa / work authorisation✓ deadline✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— positions · not published by the cited official source— commencement / intake · not published by the cited official source— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— Verified faculty photograph not available · queued for source review
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineNo current deadline published in the cited evidence
Commencing dateIntake date not published
Application route / cycleAO Trauma Short-term International Fellowship Program: the call for the 2027 programme has ended; the call for the 2028 programme will open again in the spring of 2027 (date not published). Applications are reviewed first by the national council of the applicant's country of employment, then the regional fellowship coordinator (RFC) of the AO Trauma region makes the final decision and places fellows with host centres; if a fellow goes to another region, the host region's RFC confirms the placement.
Official contactAO Trauma Europe and Southern Africa regional officeaotesa@aotrauma.org
Previous participation in the AO Trauma Basic Principles and AO Trauma Advanced Principles courses
Orthopaedic trauma is the main part of the applicant's practice
Younger than 45 years in the year of application
Employment by a teaching hospital is recommended
For operative participation: board certification in orthopaedic and trauma surgery, or a medical degree with proof of active residency enrolment, plus professional liability insurance (host requirement)
Application documents
Curriculum vitae (CV)
Copy of AO Trauma Basic Principles and AO Trauma Advanced Principles course/activity certificate(s)
Copy of medical school diploma
Copy of passport
Optional: photograph, evidence of vaccinations and English language proficiency
Curriculum vitae (CV)
Letter of recommendation from the Head of the Traumatology Department/Unit
Motivation letter
Detailed description of operating-room (surgical) experience
For Spanish Ministry of Health authorisation of the training stay (as per May 2026): PDF index of submitted documents with page numbers; signed application form; copy of valid passport; official university degree or specialist qualification (sworn Spanish translation for non-Spanish degrees; Hague Apostille or consular legalisation as applicable); report from the host Teaching Committee; report from the institution of origin (stamped and signed, with sworn Spanish translation); applicant declaration of no disqualification and commitment to submit a certificate of no sexual-offence record issued within three months before the start; civil liability insurance covering the whole stay and valid in Spain
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
AO Trauma short-term fellowship host centre (General trauma, Pediatric, Hand and wrist, Foot and ankle, Pelvis/acetabulum, Septic, Spine, Oncology, Peripheral nerve). Applicants apply centrally to AO Trauma; the host is assigned by the regional fellowship coordinator.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
Small AO Trauma stipend (see funding); membership of the worldwide AO Trauma fellows community. Host educational activities: Clinical meetings (two or three times a week); Training courses (if they are organized during their fellowship); Optional "on calls" (polytrauma cases): after-hours emergencies are optional.; Afterworks (on fridays).
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 travel, accommodation and meals; it may not cover all costs. Benchmark: USD 550 for one week's fellowship in the United States; stipends for other countries are adjusted by the World Bank PPP price-level ratio and paid in Swiss francs equivalents. AO Trauma does not arrange accommodation; travel and insurance costs are borne by the fellow. No host administration fee is published on the host page.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío
Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Polytrauma, Septic and Reconstruction Unit, Seville: 97 department beds; operating-room language Spanish; team English written (4) / spoken (4) (scale 1 basic to 5 proficient). The host offers personalised help with the Spanish Ministry of Health administrative process for international fellows.
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