In 1948, during his year as president of the AOA, Dr. Robert I. Harris of Toronto, Canada, developed the concept of the ABC Traveling Fellowship. Thirteen orthopaedic surgeons from Great Britain visited orthopaedic centers in North America in a time of post-World War II difficulties.Now in alternating years the most promising young Orthopaedic Surgeons from the UK, South Africa, New Zealand & Australia visit the USA and Canada for a 5 week trip hosted by the AOA & COA and in the intervening years the finest of North America’s young Orthopaedic surgeons visit the UK and one of the southern hemisphere countries.
The 2018 travelling fellows were formed of four UK surgeons selected from competitive interview by the BOA, and one each from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand selected by their national associations on a similar basis. In late May 2018, seven strangers met in London prior to embarking on a 5-week tour of the western USA and Canada. During the tour they visited 11 locations: The University of New Mexico; Core institute in Phoenix, Arizona; University of California Los Angeles, University of California San Francisco, Scripps clinic in San Diego, University of Utah, University of Colorado, University of Alberta, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association annual conference in Victoria, University of Manitoba and the American Orthopaedic Association Annual Leadership meeting in Boston