The application period for the 2020 AO Spine International Observership Program opened on September 5 and continues until November 30. The program was developed to ensure that the knowledge and skills acquired in AO educational events are applied in the daily work of spine surgeons in the region. It is an outstanding way for Latin American members to advance their professional careers with the benefit of improving the care of their patients. During their observerships, participants will learn and develop skills by observing highly skilled spine surgeons work with one specific technique or pathology, such as minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), trauma, deformity or tumor.

 

 

Candidates can select an area and an expert:

 

• Trauma: Carlo Bellabarba (US), Pedro Bazán (AR)
  
  
• Tumor: Claudio Tatsui (US), Alessandro Gasbarrini (IT)
  
  
• Pediatric deformjity: Jean Ouellet (CA), Munish Gupta (US), Carlos Montero (CO),
  Luis Eduardo Rocha (BR)
  
  
• Adult deformity: Claudio Lamartina (IT) and Pedro Berjano (IT), Barón Zárate (MX),
  Emiliano Vialle (BR)
  
  
• MISS: Khai Lam (GB), Roger Härtl (US), Cristiano Menezes (BR), Néstor Taboada (CO),
  Alejandro Morales (AR)

 

 

The goal of the program is help participants acquire knowledge from some of these disorders’ foremost experts who are willing to pass on their knowledge to colleagues who want to learn and apply these specific skills in their practices.