Start your career out right with access to curated specialty content, live and on-demand trainings and research resources, and everything in between. AAOS Candidate Membership prepares you to pass your Boards, enhance your surgical skills, and manage your practice.
Fuel your passion for excellence as a Candidate Member.
What to know about Candidate Membership
- Candidate Membership is a transitionary category and requires you to apply for FAAOS before you finish your first five (5) years of practice. See below for details on transitioning to FAAOS Membership.
- Candidate Membership is open to graduates of U.S. and Canadian allopathic or osteopathic orthopaedic residency programs and any subsequent fellowship program(s) who have entered practice.
- Don't lose access to your benefits. We know you are moving around a lot due to changes in your career status; be sure your profile is updated to maintain your Member access.
- To reactivate your Candidate Membership if you are not yet eligible for FAAOS Membership, contact the Service Center or call us at 800-626-6726 today.
Candidate Members Must Apply for Fellow of AAOS (FAAOS)
- Candidate Membership has a five (5) year term limt.
- Members must pass their Board Certification (ABOS, AOBOS, or RCPSC) and apply for FAAOS before their five (5) year termed Candidate Membership expires.
- Candidate Members who do not achieve Board Certification and/or do not apply for FAAOS within the five (5) year term limit will be dropped from AAOS Membership on December 31 of their last Candidate Membership year.
Eligibility for Candidate Membership
To be eligible for AAOS Candidate Membership, you must meet the following requirements:
- U.S.- and Canada-Trained Surgeons
- Available to graduates immediately upon completion of approved U.S./Canadian orthopaedic residency programs who intend to pursue certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) or American Osteopathic Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (AOBOS)
- Compliance with the AAOS Standards of Professionalism
Application Quick Facts
Recruitment Period for AAOS Resident and
Residents in Fellowship Members
April 2024 to September 2024
Recruitment Period for Non-Member Candidates
Year-round for non-members who are eligible
Membership Dues
2024 Dues for Candidate Membership are $497
What You Need To Know When Applying for Candidate Membership
During your last year of training, watch for an email from AAOS to opt-in via the AAOS Resident/Fellowship Transition Online Form. If you miss the recruitment period, contact our Service Center via email, phone 800-626-6726, or Contact Us form.
Realize Your Potential With Candidate Membership
Board Preparation and Review
Build plans for your successful case submission, presentation and defense. Present two of your patient cases in a mock oral examination session with fellowship-trained faculty across the specialties. Available one-on-one consultation sessions with subspecialty faculty.
Curated Practice Specialty Resources
Prepare to successfully pass your Board exams with educational resources across all practice specialties and areas of interest by finding new activities, upcoming events, webinars, self-assessments, practice prep plans and more.
Clinical Peer-Reviewed Research
Keep up to date with the latest peer-reviewed and clinical research, as well as commentaries and author reviews on all thing’s musculoskeletal health with JAAOS, JAAOS Global, JAAOS Research, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, and more.
Bone Beat Podcast Channel
Stay current on musculoskeletal health with the Bone Beat Orthopaedic Podcast Channel, featuring the AAOS Advocacy Podcast, the AAOS Career Podcast, and JAAOS Unplugged. You can listen to each show on aaos.org or through popular listening apps, including Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher.
Find Practice Management
Find the resources you need to run your practice effectively and gain credibility with Practice Management resources, including free videos in the Practice Management Channel on Orthopaedic Video Theater (OVT), coding and reimbursement products and courses, information on practice transitions, telemedicine, employment contracts, and more.
AAOS Annual Meeting
Gain invaluable guidance on how to build your practice, expand your network, and improve patient care, as well as hear from top faculty in the field at AAOS Annual Meeting's specialty symposiums and lectures.
What Is Your Candidate Membership Worth?
Candidate Membership offers incredible value. Membership will provide you with a range of exclusive products, programs, services, and discounts that will improve your patient care and support the success of your practice.
Membership Dues for the AAOS Candidate Class of 2024
Your AAOS Membership runs the calendar year, January 1 to December 31. Dues for the 2024 membership year will be due January 1, 2024. Membership dues are automatically billed every October for the upcoming membership cycle. Candidate Membership is held for a five-year maximum following residency, including post-graduate fellowship(s).