AO stipend contributes to travel, accommodation and meals (benchmark USD 550 per week in the United States, adjusted for the local price level; may not cover all costs); AO does not arrange accommodation; travel and insurance are funded by the fellow.
Deadline
Not published
Duration
6 to 12 weeks (AO programme-wide)
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Clinical exposureShort-term AO fellowship hosted by Samsung Medical Center. Scrub-in opportunity for AO fellows: yes (no additional licence). The AO page does not state whether participation is purely observational.
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 members worldwide meeting the criteria; Fellows are selected by AO Recon Education Forum members.
?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.
—Not published
Medical registration
Registration and licensing requirements are not published by the cited source.
—Not published
Language
No formal language requirement is published by the cited source.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
Not published on the host page
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY76% 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✓ deadline✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ 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— Registration information not published · not published by the cited official source— visa / work authorisation · not published by the cited official source— official contact · not published by the cited official source— 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 datePlacement dates are set through the AO fellowship placement process; not published on the host page
Application route / cycleAnnual AO Recon call. The most recent window (call for the 2027 programme) has ended; applications for the 2028 programme open in spring 2027 (exact dates not published).
Official contactAO fellowship programme (AO Foundation)
Attendance of an AO Recon course or seminar is beneficial
Employment by a teaching hospital is recommended
AO profile (registered user) needed to access the online form
Application documents
Curriculum vitae
Copy of medical school diploma(s)
Copy of AO Recon course/activity certificate(s) if attended
Additional educational records/awards
One recommendation letter from the departmental head
Copy of passport
Photograph and/or vaccination evidence and English proficiency (optional)
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
AO host-centre listing for Samsung Medical Center. Application is made to AO, not to the hospital. Note: The Samsung Medical Center observership page (https://www.samsunghospital.com/en/healthcare-professionals/education/observership-electives.do) does not list Orthopaedic Surgery among departments accepting international observers, whereas the AO Recon host listing and the Samsung orthopaedic department page mention visiting-surgeon training. AO Recon placement is arranged by AO, not through that page.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
AO stipend contribution toward costs; access to the worldwide AO community and network (as described on the AO page).
ACCOMMODATION & RELOCATION
Published housing information
✓ Official source mentions accommodation
⌂
Accommodation is mentioned in the published funding or benefits information: AO stipend contributes to travel, accommodation and meals (benchmark USD 550 per week in the United States, adjusted for the local price level; may not cover all costs); AO does not arrange accommodation; travel and insurance are funded by the fellow.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Samsung Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery
Samsung Medical Center orthopaedic surgery: 120 beds and about 8,500 surgical cases a year per AO host page; operating-room language is mainly Korean.
