Third year Orthopaedic Surgery resident Pratik P. Desai, M.D. has been accepted into the AO Clinical Investigation and Documentation (AOCID) research and epidemiology fellowship in Dübendorf, Switzerland.

There are only two to three spots available annually in this prestigious three month orthopaedic musculoskeletal trauma fellowship. Dr. Desai is the first physician from the United States to be selected. The AO Foundation fellowship covers travel, accommodations and other living expenses during the academic research rotation.

Dr. Desai is spending the first three months of 2010 conducting several independent clinical epidemiology studies that began at UFCOM-J with his mentor and associate program director, Michael Suk, M.D., J.D., M.P.H. He will return to his residency in April.

"The life-long learning experience and the recognition from the involvement with the AO Foundation will follow Dr. Desai throughout the Orthopaedic community for the remainder of his career", said Suk.

The AO Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1958 by a group of Swiss surgeons, is dedicated to the research, practice and teaching of principles and advances in trauma and musculoskeletal surgery. The organization consists of more than 5,000 surgeons, including an international faculty of over 3,000 in more than 100 countries, who combine global efforts in for the benefit of orthopaedic trauma care.