✓ 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
Supported by FESSH and SSCM with free FESSH Congress registration; the official page does not publish a cash allowance or exact travel and accommodation reimbursement
Deadline
22 October 2025 (2026 intake closed)
Duration
2-week observership within the 18 May–6 June 2026 programme window
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Last checked
12 Aug 2026
Duration · published2-week observership within the 18 May–6 June 2026 programme window
Clinical exposureObservation at two Swiss hand-surgery centres, followed by a Basel teaching day, cadaver laboratory and FESSH Congress; scrub-in is not available because of legal limitations
Funding · publishedSupported by FESSH and SSCM with free FESSH Congress registration; the official page does not publish a cash allowance or exact travel and accommodation reimbursement
DestinationSwitzerland
Participation levelObservational pathway. No independent patient care or operative privileges are implied.
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
Member of a national hand society that is a FESSH Member Society · In hand-surgery training or within four years of independent practice · Passed or studying for the European Board of Hand Surgery examination · Lives and works in Europe
✓Published by official source
Programme classification
Observational pathway; no independent patient care is implied.
?Confirm directly with host
Hands-on restrictions
Hands-on clinical activity is not described for this observational pathway.
≈Partially published
Medical registration
Observer-only. The official programme explicitly states that scrub-in is not available because of legal limitations.
?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
Supported by FESSH and SSCM with free FESSH Congress registration; the official page does not publish a cash allowance or exact travel and accommodation reimbursement
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
83% of core application fields verified
Checked 12 Aug 2026. Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-02-08. 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✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ positions✓ commencement / intake✓ funding✓ benefits✓ accommodation / relocation✓ eligibility✓ registration✓ deadline✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— international eligibility · queued for source review— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— visa / work authorisation · queued for source review— Faculty information requires reverification · queued for source review— Verified faculty photograph not available · queued for source review
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadline22 October 2025 (2026 intake closed)
Commencing date18 May 2026
Application route / cycleThe published 2026 programme has concluded; monitor the official FESSH page for a future call
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
Member of a national hand society that is a FESSH Member Society
In hand-surgery training or within four years of independent practice
Passed or studying for the European Board of Hand Surgery examination
Lives and works in Europe
Registration, licence & examinations
Observer-only. The official programme explicitly states that scrub-in is not available because of legal limitations.
Visa / work authorisation
Visa sponsorship or work-authorisation requirements are not stated by the cited source.
Application documents
Completed application form
Curriculum vitae, maximum four pages
Two reference letters on institutional headed paper
Certification of membership of the applicant's national hand society
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 competitive, observer-only European hand-surgery exchange attached to the annual FESSH Congress. This record preserves the fully published 2026 requirements and is clearly marked closed rather than shown as a current open call.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
Two host-centre visits, exposure across arthroplasty, arthroscopy, congenital hand surgery, microsurgery, peripheral nerve surgery and trauma, plus a teaching day, cadaver laboratory and Congress registration.
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.
ACCOMMODATION & RELOCATION
Published housing information
✓ Official source mentions accommodation
⌂
Accommodation is mentioned in the published funding or benefits information: Supported by FESSH and SSCM with free FESSH Congress registration; the official page does not publish a cash allowance or exact travel and accommodation reimbursement
Housing availability, rent, deposits, utilities and relocation support can change by intake and appointment type. OrthoFellow does not estimate living costs unless an official source publishes them.
HOST INSTITUTION
About FESSH and Swiss Society for Surgery of the Hand host-centre network
For 2026, fellows were allocated across leading hand units in Basel, Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, Frauenfeld, St Gallen, Winterthur, Chur, Lucerne and Fribourg, visiting two centres each.
The cited evidence does not provide a programme-specific faculty roster that OrthoFellow can safely publish. Open the official source or submit an institutional correction; names and portraits are never inferred from department membership.
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 Congress Fellowship has run with changing national partners and hosts, including the Netherlands in 2024, Finland in 2025 and Switzerland in 2026.
APPLICANT PROFILE
Senior registrars, fellows and junior consultants within four years of independent practice who live and work in Europe
