AO and Podiatry

[ldsrmdude]

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I've got a buddy at the AO basic course this weekend and he passed along some information about AO courses. AO is no longer offering podiatry courses. As a result, the podiatry powers that be found another company to sponsor the educational courses that used to be AO basic and advanced. A new organization was founded called the American Association for Foot and Ankle Osteosynthesis (I think that's right) and basic and advanced courses will be offered starting next April. It sounds like it will be basically the same courses taught by the same instructors, just sponsored by a different company. It's too bad it's no longer affiliated with AO (I hear that there is some optimism that relationship will be restored at some point in the future), but it's good to hear that the courses will be offered since there was a lo of confusion and uncertainty about that.

 

[josebiwasabi]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

 

[ldsrmdude]

This is good hear. I'd be interested to know what company is sponsoring the courses now.

Smith and Nephew I think.

 

[g squared 23]

Smith and Nephew I think.

Yeah, the new courses will be at their headquarters in Memphis, TN. It's a great course for Podiatry Residents, firmly giving each participant a solid foundation in fixation principles and concepts.

 

[dpmgrad]

It is good to hear that the AO Podiatry faculty was able to find another sponsor for the courses for the previous AO Podiatry courses. However, since Podiatry is not part of AO anymore, DPMs are no longer eligible to participate in the AO fellowship program, which I found to be a great experience when I got do it in Switzerland. Of course, there are a few exceptions where a few programs do have established connections with some European AO training sites and send their residents there as an elective without going through AO program.

 

[ldsrmdude]

It is good to hear that the AO Podiatry faculty was able to find another sponsor for the courses for the previous AO Podiatry courses. However, since Podiatry is not part of AO anymore, DPMs are no longer eligible to participate in the AO fellowship program, which I found to be a great experience when I got do it in Switzerland. Of course, there are a few exceptions where a few programs do have established connections with some European AO training sites and send their residents there as an elective without going through AO program.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. I would have been very interested in an AO fellowship.

 

[dpmgrad]

For example, the Seattle (Swedish program) residents have the option to spend some time over with Dr. Hans Zwipp and colleagues in Dresden, Germany. Dr. Hans Zwipp's clinic is one of the AO trauma fellowship training sites, especially for DPM due to the volume of foot and ankle trauma they do. One of my former residents did her AO trauma fellowship with Dr. Zwipp.

 

[ldsrmdude]

What residency programs are those?

There are a few that mention it in their AACPM residency page in addition to what dpmgrad mentioned.

 

[dpmgrad]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. I would have been very interested in an AO fellowship.

You never know in the future. Maybe, AO would work with Podiatry Institute to bring the Podiatry courses back under AO in the future.

 

[ldsrmdude]

You never know in the future. Maybe, AO would work with Podiatry Institute to bring the Podiatry courses back under AO in the future.

Hopefully something like that will happen.