The Leadership Fellows Program (LFP) offers an exciting opportunity to all AAOS fellows who are age 45 and younger as of Jan. 31, 2010. Participating in the program provides the following benefits:

• Involvement in educational programs to enhance leadership skills
• Learning how the AAOS is organized and functions
• Connecting with a mentor—a senior Academy leader who volunteers to serve as an advisor and confidant to the fellow
• Assignment to an AAOS committee upon completion of the program

The application to become an LFP fellow is now available online. It can be accessed at www.aaos.org/lfp, or click on “Leadership Fellows Program Application” under the “Hot Topics” on the AAOS home page, www.aaos.org

Previous participants have called their experiences in the LFP “fantastic,” “a great program.” As one participant said, “The LFP program opened my eyes. I would like other people to become involved and to effect a change through the AAOS and its activities.”

For the past three years, LFP participants have identified and completed a class project. The most recent class (2008–2009) created a video on volunteering, “Members make it happen.” A link to the video is included on the LFP Web page, www.aaos.org/lfp

Participation in the LFP is a year-long commitment with 5 mandatory meetings. Please review the LFP schedule before you complete the application to ensure you will be able to attend all meetings. The deadline for submitting an application as either a fellow or mentor is June 15, 2009. If you have any questions, contact Jeff Kramer at (847) 384-4344 or kramer@aaos.org