The AOA connects you with key leaders and decision-makers in academics and private practice who heavily influence residents and fellows and have made significant contributions to education, research, and the practice of orthopaedic surgery. Known as a select and exclusive organization of elected orthopaedic leaders, the AOA designs programs to provide leadership education for surgeons from residency through their entire orthopaedic career. Programs include leadership development courses, content and training for academic orthopaedists, and thought leadership and solutions for critical issues facing the broad orthopaedic community.
Connect with Diverse Audiences in the Orthopaedic Community
AOA Audiences
- Top PGY4 residents, many of whom will become their program’s chief resident, are nominated to participate in the C. McCollister Evarts Resident Leadership Forum by their leadership program.
- This leadership development program provides Resident Leaders with interactive sessions and the opportunity to network with US and Canadian peers and orthopaedic leaders.
- AOA gathers the resident leaders and Program Directors, virtually and in-person, to allow for productive exchange, identification of issues, and designing workable solutions to further advance the profession and graduate medical education.
- Approximately 70% of Resident Leadership Forum nominees join the Emerging Leaders Program each year.
- The AOA’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) delivers a continuum of learning for developing orthopaedic leaders in their 5th year of residency through their 13th year of clinical practice. Newly in practice, these rising orthopaedists are among a highly select group of individuals poised to impact the specialty now and in the future.
- Since the start of the Emerging Leaders Program in 2004, Emerging Leaders continue to transition through the program to become AOA members.
- AOA members are deans, department chairs, program directors and other influential decision makers.
- Only orthopaedic surgeons who have made significant contributions to orthopaedic leadership education, research, and practice are selected for AOA membership.
AOA Leadership Curriculum
The AOA provides leadership education to orthopaedists in training and throughout their career. AOA’s leadership programs are valuable to all orthopaedic surgeons seeking to gain new skills or further enhance existing knowledge. Research highlights that while surgeons have honed their clinical skills, formal leadership education and development is equally important for optimal outcomes throughout their career.
2021 Annual Leadership Meetings
June 8-12, 2021 | Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque Convention Center
Join all AOA audiences at the AOA Annual Leadership Meetings. In 2021, it is planned to be conducted as a hybrid event with in-person and virtual sessions. Content will be recorded and available through the end of the year for increased exposure.
Next Generation Programs
Audience: Nearly 300 PGY3–PGY4 residents each year
- C. McCollister Evarts Resident Leadership Forum: An interactive introduction to leadership concepts for the top 200 PGY4 residents in North America. Virtual and in-person sessions will be available.
- Regional Resident Meetings: The Regional Resident Meetings blend AOA’s signature leadership education with practice management wisdom for those on the cusp of transitioning into the start of  a successful orthopaedic career. Topics include negotiation skills, securing your first job, practice setting considerations, etc.
Audience: Over 800 PGY5–13th year in clinical practice
- The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) recognizes and develops aspiring orthopaedic leaders through participation in AOA leadership forums, the AOA Annual Meeting, learning modules, a monthly e-newsletter that focuses on critical issues, and the APEX Leadership Certificate Program. The ELP builds essential skills and a strong foundation for leadership and success for these orthopaedists who are on track to become the leaders of the future.
- New! AOA Hyperlocal Conference with Multiple Locations
Audience: AOA Members, Emerging Leaders
The hyperlocal conference is an innovative activity where the event takes place in different locations nationwide. Educational content can be shared via a virtual broadcast to multiple locations on the same date and time. AOA Members and Emerging Leaders can meet more regionally and be connected by the shared content with a strong focus on networking and leadership education. Corporate supporters are invited to participate in this unique event with AOA Members and Emerging Leaders.
AOA Program Overview
Audience: Orthopaedic leaders at any stage of their career
The AOA partnered with the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, Executive Education to develop the APEX Leadership Certificate Program. This program combines in- person and distance-learning formats to address essential leadership development skills required of surgeons today. AOA’s signature blend of leadership development, with direct relevance to orthopaedics and issues confronting medicine, allows individuals to expand their knowledge and leadership skills. A new cohort will start in 2022.
Orthopaedic surgeons who participated in the prestigious APEX Leadership Program will be invited to participate in a special APEX Alumni Event in 2021. This special opportunity is available to a corporate supporter to interact and engage with orthopaedic surgeons who will discuss critical leadership and health care issues they are currently experiencing in their practices.
Audience: AOA Members; Emerging Leaders
Local surgeons gather for a leadership presentation and valuable networking at a conveniently located venue. This event can be held in conjunction with a Regional Resident Meeting for maximum reach.
Audience: Over 1,000 Program Directors, Assistant Program Directors, Fellowship Directors, Department Chairs, Program Coordinators, and faculty; 189 accredited allopathic, osteopathic, and Canadian programs
The Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) membership is held at the institutional level. CORD provides a forum for academic orthopaedists to share best practices, discuss and find solutions to challenges, collaborate on tools and resources, and find new ways to effectively teach residents. This Program represents more than 95% of all US orthopaedic residency programs.
Do you have a service or product that is especially relevant to an AOA audience? Information and online educational tools are of high interest to our different groups. Share your information via a virtual presentation and demonstration. Contact us to discuss your interest and products.
Audience: More than 4,000 providers including orthopaedic surgeons, NPs, PAs, and RNs, and other multidisciplinary MDs, (rheumatologists, geriatricians).
Hospitals, practice groups, and health plans use Own the Bone to coordinate and deliver team-based bone health care for fragility patients. The program educates providers and their teams on how to implement secondary fracture prevention through live, virtual, and on-demand activities and provides easy-to-use tools, best practices resources, and a patient registry.