Global Spine Diploma Program

The Global Spine Diploma Program is the first globally developed, systematic online training for spine surgery, creating a new worldwide standard.

It helps orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons take their knowledge and skills across multiple spinal pathologies to a new level.

A syllabus describing the curriculum content, educational methods, and resources was developed to achieve defined learning objectives.

The training program is offered online. Therefore, participants benefit from efficient, flexible online learning in small groups.

• The training is based on a thorough curriculum, written and taught by world-renowned surgeons.
• Training program participants gain profound knowledge in spine surgery.
• Participants gain access to a global spine network and learn from the best.

In total, the training program is 12 months in length, with two semesters; participants are allocated to one of two streams (see diagram below). The program consists of five modules, each covering eight weeks. Registration for single modules is not currently available.

You can expect to invest 3–5 hours per week during the two semesters.

The program is available to AO Spine members and surgeons who have recently graduated from an orthopedic surgery or neurosurgery training program.

Important: Members of the AO Spine Faculty Management task force, AO Spine Training Program Committee members, the exam committee members, or surgeons who have been involved in the part I and/or part II exam preparation are ineligible for the Global Spine Diploma Program.

Applicants for the training program must apply via the AO Spine website and provide the following information by e-mail:

• A curriculum vitae (CV) demonstrating practice experience in spinal surgery
• A certificate confirming recent graduation from an orthopedic surgery or neurosurgery training program

Only AO Spine members are eligible to register.

Applications will be assessed by the director of the Training Program Committee and AO Spine staff during the application period. For the application process, candidates must pay a non-refundable administrative fee of CHF 100.

Eligible candidates will be notified and invited to register by paying the non refundable tuition fee for their first semester.

To initiate the eligibility verification, you must be an AO Spine member and provide your CV and a confirmation of training completion as orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon to the Global Spine Diploma Program director.

If English is not your first language, it is essential that your English language skills are good enough for you to understand, speak, and present throughout the duration of the intensive and challenging training program.

No. Since the training program will be offered online, no travel is required.

Depending on your decision for the additionally offered, mandatory elective modules, you may need to apply for visa; for example, if you participate in an on-site AO Spine course.

The non refundable administrative fee is CHF 100; it is due during the application process. The overall tuition fee is CHF 2,500 which can be paid in two separate installments prior to the commencement of each semester.

The tuition fee includes access to all learning materials and virtual discussions provided through the learning management system throughout the duration of the program.

Additional costs apply for the mandatory elective modules. These are not included in the price and must be considered in addition to the registration fee.

No. Payment is required upon registration for each semester.

For detailed cancellation and refund policies, please read the Terms and Conditions.

For the detailed deferral policy, please read the Terms and Conditions.

We do not currently offer scholarships for the 2023 and 2024 programs.

We encourage you to stay tuned and keep an eye on our website and social media channels, as we aim to offer scholarships in the future.

Applications will be assessed by the director and AO Spine project manager of the Global Spine Diploma Program Committee within a given period after the application has been submitted.

The Global Spine Diploma Program is an online program administered through our learning management system. The mandatory live activities will be offered online and dates will be announced at the beginning of the program.

Should you choose to participate in an on-site AO Spine course, you will need to travel to the event location.

The training content contains one module per pathology. Each module has a duration of eight weeks.

Within each module, learning assets such as journal articles, book chapters, and teaching videos are offered. Furthermore, mandatory online events such as webinars and case discussions are organized. On a weekly basis, you will have the opportunity to discuss questions with your assigned peers and faculty members.

In addition, during each module, each participant will be expected to prepare and present a case for a peer assessment.

To finalize the module, a formative assessment will be conducted at the end of each module.

The program covers the following spinal pathologies: trauma, cervical degeneration, lumbar degeneration, adult and pediatric deformity, oncology and infection.

An application will be made to the UEMS-EACCME® for CME accreditation of this online program.

The CME points will be provided at the end of the program.

All training material will be accessible for the duration of the program. Once you have completed all five training modules, you will lose access to the training system.

Faculty members have completed an application process and were chosen according to the defined prerequisites, including expertise in the field and completion of an AO Spine fellowship, locally allocated to the participant cohort group.

Faculty members are AO Spine fellowship alumni who are well-known in their fields of expertise.

We assign faculty members from the same region/ country where the participants are from in order to support live discussions. This allows participants to easily reach their assigned faculty member(s).

Webinar presenters are global experts on the assigned topics.

They will:

• Introduce participants to the module content.
• Lay out the expectations for each module.
• Be your first point of contact for content-related questions during each module.
• Moderate case discussions.
• Lead and steer the weekly case discussions.

You must participate in a minimum of 70 percent of the training program activities in order to be eligible to receive the Global Spine Diploma.

No, there is not a pass or fail grading system, but a minimum requirement to participate in the assignments during the two semesters.

No, the Global Spine Diploma is not mandatory to be eligible as AO Spine faculty.

You will receive the diploma once you have fulfilled the criteria, finished all training program modules, and completed the second semester.

The Global Spine Diploma is valid for a period of five years after the date of issue.

You will need an AO Spine member profile and a stable internet connection to access our learning management system and the learning assets.

The learning management system is a password-secured, web-based platform. You can access it from your mobile phone, tablet, and personal computer (PC). No additional software is needed.

We will allocate faculty members per module and learning group. These faculty members will be available to answer any content-related questions.