UK Based Fellowships
Hospitals in the UK host some of the best Foot & Ankle Fellowships in the world. BOFAS aims to continually improve the quality of Foot & Ankle Surgical training for senior trainees after the completion of their specialist training, by providing co-ordination and support.
BOFAS follows stringent criteria before recognising each Fellowship. We expect the Fellows receive a broad experience across the different areas of Foot & Ankle Surgery. A BOFAS recognised Fellowship should provide a balance between operative experience and experience of decision making in outpatients with a balance of at least two clinics and three theatre sessions per week. There should be a regular multi-disciplinary team meeting and a session for Research & Audit.
BOFAS Education Committee monitors the standards of these Fellowships by receiving annual feedback from the Fellows. On commencing their Fellowship, all the Fellows are encouraged to register on the BOFAS website so that they are included into the 18-month BOFAS Fellows Programme, which involves an Advanced Fellows Forum, Research Training, a Diabetic Foot Course, and a course designed for New Foot & Ankle Consultants.
BOFAS established the Advanced Foot & Ankle Fellows Forum in 2016. This an invitational three day course, which delivers an update on the current literature, sessions on the skills to be a new Consultant and a surgical “tips and tricks” day in a cadaver laboratory.
*Please ensure you are registered on the Fellows Registry to receive invitations to all Fellow/New Consultant Events. Click here.
A good quality F&A Fellowship should provide a balance between surgical practice in theatre and of decision making in outpatients, with at least two clinics and at least three theatre sessions per week. There should be a regular multi-disciplinary team meeting, study leave with both protected time and a budget, a paid session for research or audit and a clear mechanism for feedback (Brown R et al. The Current Standards of Foot & Ankle Fellowships in the UK.)
This website provides contact details of UK Fellowships which provide training above and beyond these minimum criteria.
When considering a specific Fellowship, the prospective Fellow is advised to review the experience of the previous Fellows, looking at their logbook summary and publication record. We highly recommend a direct conversation with the incumbent Fellow to determine if the Fellowship will fulfil their learning goals.
If you are a surgeon in the UK looking to have the foot and ankle fellowship you offer approved by BOFAS, please download this application form.