Hand Surgery Training: A Comprehensive Course for Fellows and Chief Residents
Whether you’re a trainee exploring a career in hand surgery, a chief resident planning your next steps, or a program director seeking opportunities for your residents and fellows, the AO Trauma Hand North America Fellows and Chief Resident Course is an event to put on your radar. From May 15–17, 2025, in Cincinnati, OH, this advanced course is designed to enhance surgical skills, expand knowledge, and prepare participants to excel in the complexities of hand surgery.
What is the AO Trauma Hand NA Fellows and Chief Residents Course?
This three-day, advanced-level course is tailored to equip pre-fellowship trainees with the foundational skills and concepts necessary for a successful hand surgery fellowship. Simultaneously, it offers post-fellowship attendees the chance to refine advanced surgical techniques, address complex clinical scenarios, and dive into practice management strategies. Through a combination of didactic sessions and hands-on cadaver labs, the course provides a comprehensive learning experience.
Who Should Attend?
Enrollment is open to:
- Chief residents who plan to specialize in hand surgery
- Current hand surgery fellows preparing to transition into practice
Why Attend?
The course delivers a unique blend of education and mentorship:
- Pre-fellowship trainees will review essential hand surgery skills and concepts to set them up for success in fellowship.
- Post-fellowship attendees will engage in advanced clinical training and practice management discussions to prepare them for independent practice.
Course Highlights
- In-depth didactic sessions led by renowned faculty in the field
- Hands-on cadaver labs with advanced surgical setups
- Focused training on hand and wrist fractures, soft tissue flaps from elbow to fingertips, distal radius, and scaphoid approaches
- Guidance on creating soft tissue coverage strategies and evaluating nerve deficits
- Exclusive post-fellowship discussions on challenging clinical scenarios and practice management
By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify key fracture parameters to guide fixation and arthroplasty decisions, apply AO principles of fracture fixation while considering soft tissue, and combine fracture reduction techniques with precise anatomical exposure. They will also learn to analyze and strategize coverage for soft tissue defects, as well as evaluate nerve deficits and implement effective reconstruction techniques.
Course Leadership
This course is co-chaired by David Dennison, MD and Kimberly Mezera, MD, two leading experts passionate about advancing education in hand and upper limb surgery.
What Makes AO Trauma Hand NA Unique?
The AO Trauma Hand North America community is built on a foundation of passion for education in hand and upper limb care. Bringing together orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, and hand surgeons, the faculty represents a diverse, yet cohesive team dedicated to teaching and mentoring the next generation of hand surgery professionals.
Marco Rizzo, MD, shares this about the AO Trauma Hand NA community, “Our community is committed to advancing the knowledge and science of hand and upper limb surgery. Through innovative, hands-on educational opportunities, we aim to provide learners with the tools they need to deliver the best possible care for their patients.”
What Past Participants Are Saying
Feedback from previous participants:
- “I intend to use all of the practices I learned to improve my fellowship experience.”
- “Amazing tips and education from excellent faculty and instructors. Lots of tangible, helpful tips for managing clinical issues, navigating fellowship, and surgical approaches.”
- “This may have been the best-run surgery instructional course I’ve attended.”
- “Loved the entire course. Very interested faculty, all of whom were passionate about teaching. The cadaver lab was awesome. The whole weekend was top-notch.”
- “Lectures were very helpful. Cadaver dissection was also great, particularly the setup with OR lights, OR tables, etc.”
How to Register
Ready to take the next step in your hand surgery career? Learn more and register here: Event Registration Link.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with leaders in the field, enhance your surgical skills, and prepare for the next phase of your career. The AO Trauma Hand NA Fellows and Chief Resident Course is your gateway to success in hand surgery. Mark your calendar for May 15–17, 2025 and secure your spot today!
Directly Provided by AO North America, Inc.
AO North America, Inc. (AO NA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing education for physicians.
AO North America designates this live educational activity for a maximum of 24.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
AO North America, Inc., gratefully acknowledges funding for its educational activities from the AO Foundation. The AO Foundation receives funding for education from Synthes GMbH.
AO North America gratefully acknowledges in-kind support for equipment and technical staff from J&J MedTech.
