The American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) is a Community of Leaders.
AOA members are leaders in the Orthopaedic community.
Obtaining membership in the AOA begins with a nomination made by a current AOA member
and seconded by another AOA member.
Criteria for Membership
Candidates for active membership in the AOA must be certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery or a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada in Orthopaedic Medicine and in practice no less than five years at the time membership is approved (Class of 2009 candidates must be in practice no less than five years as of June, 2009).
In addition, experience and leadership in the following domains are considered by the Membership Committee during the candidate review process.
Professional Positions Held
Scholarships and Research
Leadership in Orthopaedics and Medicine
Leadership in the Individual’s Community
Click here for expanded information on the leadership domains and examples of items considered under each domain. The information included in this document is meant to serve as a guide and is not to be interpreted as the only items considered in each domain. Other items that are considered include involvement in AOA sponsored activities such as the Resident Leadership Forum, Emerging Leaders Program, AOA Kellogg courses and AOA Fellowships.
Finally, professionalism is directly tied to an individual’s success as a leader. The AOA’s Professionalism Guiding Leadership identifies the professionalism traits it seeks in its members - Honesty, Altruism, “Heroic” Behavior, Demonstrated Commitment to Competency, Maintenance of Competence, Demonstrated Commitment to Improving Patient Care, Demonstrated Leadership and, Proven Ethical Practice.
For information on the other membership categories please reference our AOA bylaws.
