DAVOS, Switzerland, Oct. 1, 2024 -- With a 20-plus-year legacy as the world's premier education provider in spine surgery, AO Spine—a clinical division of the AO—continues to revolutionize surgeon education with its new, globally developed competency-based curriculum courses launching in 2025.

AO Spine’s new competency-based curriculum courses were a sellout, garnering enthusiastic support when piloted earlier this year.

These cutting-edge learning experiences, developed by spine surgeons for spine surgeons in collaboration with the AO Education Institute, will provide spine surgeons worldwide with the latest knowledge to take their skills to the next level. The first courses will be offered in spinal deformities and minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS).

Each course addresses selected, standardized learning objectives, based on the AO Spine Curriculum, ensuring AO Spine quality standards are met for each participant, no matter where they decide to attend the course.

The new courses offer participants a unique pathway to surgical proficiency, beginning with principles addressing the core competencies that every surgeon should have, followed by advanced courses addressing more advanced techniques.

All courses are built around three primary components:

  • State-of-the-art online pre-course learning at participants' own pace
  • Case-based tasks in which participants apply their newly acquired knowledge to real-world patient cases in the classroom through small group discussions or specifically designed exercises, deepening their understanding and enhancing their clinical decision-making through collaborative case analysis
  • Practical exercises with a skills lab approach, giving learners step-by-step guidance as they apply their skills and use the appropriate technologies and techniques on customized models or human anatomical specimens

"AO Spine Education constantly strives to move with the latest trends and be relevant in an increasingly challenging market," said AO Spine Education Commission Chairperson Richard Bransford (United States). "The AO Spine courses create the foundation for proper spinal patient management and lie at the core of our course design and delivery."

Recognizing the need for regional flexibility, expert faculty will bring their experiences and unique perspectives, mentoring participants through highly interactive case discussions and hands-on exercises.

AO EI Executive Director Tobias Hüttl explained that a standardized framework "ensures we are providing highest educational standards globally while allowing the regions to be responsive to their unique needs."

For more information and interview requests, please contact:

AO Foundation

Olga Harrington, Head of Communications

communications@aofoundation.org

Tel.: +41 81 414 21 11

About the AO

The AO is a medically guided, not-for-profit organization, a global network of surgeons, and the world's leading education, innovation, and research organization specializing in the surgical treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. For more information, visit www.aofoundation.org.

About the AO Education Institute

The AO Education Institute (AO EI) is the AO's center of excellence for designing curricula, assessment, and evaluation of educational outcomes, faculty development, medical education research, and the creation of educational tools and media.

About AO Spine

A clinical division of the AO, AO Spine is the world's premier knowledge provider in spine surgery, generating, distrib­uting, and exchanging knowledge to advance spine care through education, research, and community development.

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