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
4 to 12 weeks (AO programme-wide)
Hands-on
No hands-on role indicated
Clinical exposureShort-term AO fellowship hosted by King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC). Scrub-in opportunity for AO fellows: yes (Saudi Commission registration and a hospital temporary privilege). Licence note on host page: Saudi Commission registration and hospital administration temporary privilege (stated on the AO host page). 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; Applications are submitted through the AO Spine online form during the open call.
?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
Saudi Commission registration and hospital administration temporary privilege (stated on the AO host page).
—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 & AVAILABILITY79% 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✓ 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— 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 Spine call. The most recent window (call for the 2027 programme) has ended. For the 2028 programme: call opens April 2027, closes May 2027, results September 2027 (day-level dates not published).
Official contactAO fellowship programme (AO Foundation)
Spine physician or orthopaedic, neurosurgery or trauma surgeon with a strong interest in spine surgery
At least one AO course or AO event attended
At least two years of AO Spine membership before applying
No AO Spine fellowship in the past two years (except self-funded)
Up to 45 years old at the time of application
Application documents
Letter of motivation
Most updated CV including publications
Copy of medical diploma or specialisation diploma (orthopaedics or neurosurgery)
Most recent AO Spine course/event certificate
One recommendation letter from a senior surgeon (not older than 6 months)
Copy of passport
Proof of English proficiency (certificate or self-statement)
Host page asks for all academic, training and board certificates, DataFlow certificate, vaccination record, valid passport
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
AO host-centre listing for King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC). Application is made to AO, not to the hospital.
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 King Saud University Medical City, Orthopedic Surgery (Spine)
King Saud University Medical City orthopaedic surgery spine unit: 38 beds and about 220 spine surgical cases a year per AO host page; operating-room language is English.
