On April 19, 2009, five American and two Canadian orthopaedic surgeons started on the journey known as the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) American, British, and Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship. The seven of us met up in London and were given an orientation by the staff of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) before boarding a bus to Oxford.
Our first host, Dr. Andrew Carr (ABC, 1996), met us that evening for dinner, and we all slept fast to cure our jet lag. The next morning, we had a tour of the Nuffield Orthopaedic and Botnar Research centers. Professor Carr gave a historical overview of Oxford and a synopsis of their research endeavors. We finished the day with a black-tie dinner at Worcester College.
The next day, we took a bus to Nottingham and met Professor Angus Wallace (ABC, 1988), who took us to the Queen's Medical Center for a scientific session. Afterward, we took a walking tour to the oldest pub in the United Kingdom. On Wednesday, another scientific session was followed by dinner with staff. Thursday morning was highlighted by a radiographic "quiz." We all shared the Royal College of Surgeons Scotch that went to the winner and then boarded a train to Edinburgh.
In Edinburgh, we were greeted by past Fellows, who took us to the home of Professor Hamish Simpson (ABC, 1996) for dinner. Friday consisted of a scientific session, and we ordered our kilts for the evening. The Edinburgh departmental dinner was special (Fig. 1), and we truly felt like "authentic Scotsmen" (except for two Fellows). Our Saturday was recreational and ended with a past-Fellows dinner. The haggis was tried by all, and many a toast was raised to our host.
On Sunday, we took a train to Darlington and were greeted by Professor Paul Gregg (ABC, 1984). Professor Gregg and colleagues picked us up the next morning for clay pigeon shooting. No one was hurt, and some showed unusual ability with a firearm. The academic sessions highlighted registry involvement and basic-science research at the university.
We then took a train to London to attend the BOA dinner at the Foundling Museum. President Clare Marx was an exceptional hostess. The following morning, Professor Tim Briggs (ABC, 1998) organized a personalized tour of Westminster Abbey and the House of Lords. Afterward, we visited the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. The afternoon academic session was followed by an evening of cocktails and dinner.
We took a short train ride the next day to the city of Norwich, where Simon Donell (ABC, 1996) was our host. We had the opportunity to observe surgery the following day, and an evening barbeque at the home of Simon Donell was a perfect ending to the visit.
The following day, the Fellows found themselves in Ireland, where Mr. Keith Synnott (ABC, 2006) was our host. Keith and Kevin Mulhall (ABC, 2008) took us to the Leinster versus Munster European Rugby semifinal that night. Sunday included individual recreational activities as some family members joined the Fellows for a visit. Our visit to Dublin ended with an academic day followed by a black-tie dinner at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.
The next morning, we arrived in Cambridge and took a tour of the Fitzwilliam Museum. We heard about the remarkable scientific and engineering resources at Cambridge and the collaborations between industry and staff. The program ended with dinner at Magdalene College, which was hosted by Professor Neil Rushton.
Next, we went back to London to meet with the staff of the British Volume of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). Hosted by James Scott, editor-in-chief, we learned about the review and editing process. We thanked the staff of the JBJS-British Volume, who are important sponsors of the tour, and then boarded a train for Portsmouth.
Our stop in Portsmouth coincided with the annual meeting of the Combined Services Orthopaedic Society, and we got a flavor for military orthopaedics. That night culminated in a spectacular dinner aboard the HMS Victory. We thanked our hostess, Surgeon Commander Sarah Stapley (ABC, 2006), for putting together such a spectacular visit, and then we were on our way to South Africa.
After the flight down to South Africa, we were greeted at the airport by Professor Dick van der Jagt, president of the South African Orthopaedic Association; Tom Mariba (ABC, 2006); and Andrew Barrow (ABC, 2008). The Bakubung Lodge was our setting for two days of relaxation and game drives. The next morning, we visited Johannesburg Hospital and went on a tour with Professor Mac Lukhele. At our visit later that day to Baragwanath Hospital, we met with Professor S. Magobotha, who told us about the public health-care system. The next morning, we traveled to the University of Limpopo and met Professor Robert Golele.
After a week in Johannesburg, we took a flight to Durban, where we were greeted at the airport by former ABC Fellow Rob Fraser (1996). The day was filled with recreational activities and then we had dinner with the Durban orthopaedic community. The next morning, we had the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. After a tour of the facilities by James Hamilton, we had a short academic program. We wrapped up our visit that evening with a traditional South African "bri" on the beach.
An early flight the next morning landed us in Bloemfontein. We were greeted by Professor John Shipley and colleagues and were treated to a morning of off-road adventures. In the afternoon, we made our way to a game preserve for an academic session with the government and private practice orthopaedists. The academic program was followed by an interesting Afrikaans dinner.
The next morning we flew into Cape Town, where we took a tour of the Stellenbosch Hospital and then the wine country. That evening, we had dinner at Professor Gert Vlok's home. The next day, we had an academic session followed by a dinner on a boat with a view to the city skyline. Friday included pediatric ward rounds with Professor Hoffman and lunch at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. The next day was filled with recreation and a final dinner for the Fellows prior to returning home the following day. All of us concluded that this was the experience of a lifetime and a fantastic scientific and cultural exchange. We are very appreciative of all of our hosts and the tremendous support of the American Orthopaedic Association, Canadian Orthopaedic Association, British Orthopaedic Association, and South African Orthopaedic Association.