Anica Bitenc Travelling Fellowship

In 1982 the COA received an offer from one of their members, Dr. Igor Bitenc, to sponsor an annual travelling fellowship for a young orthopaedic surgeon from the then Yugoslavia. This Fellowship was named in memory of Dr. Igor Bitenc’s late mother, Mrs. Anica Bitenc. Funding for this Fellowship is sourced by an annual endowment from Dr. Igor Bitenc and is managed by the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation.

Dr. Bitenc, 1925-2014

Dr. Bitenc was born in 1925 in Slovenia and came to Canada in 1953. The following year, he began his residency at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital and then elected to stay in Quebec to practice as an orthopaedic surgeon. It was in 1982 that he offered to sponsor an annual Traveling Fellowship for a young orthopaedic surgeon from Yugoslavia. Read more.

Anica Bitenc Fellows

The first Fellow completed his Canadian itinerary in 1985. The COA now hosts one Fellow per year on a rotational basis from Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. The Anica Bitenc Fellow visits various orthopaedic centres across Canada during his or her tour, and is invited to attend the COA Annual Meeting.

Previous Fellows include:

2023 Dr. Damjan Dimnjakovic Croatia
2019 Dr. Robi Kelc Slovenia
2018 Dr. Tomislav Palibrk Serbia
2017 Dr. Ivan Bohacek Croatia
2016 Dr. David Martincic Slovenia
2015 Dr. Predrag Rasovic Serbia
2014 Dr. Tomislav Smoljanovic Croatia
2013 Dr. Gregor Recnik Slovenia
2012 Dr. Nemanja Slavkovic Serbia
2011 Dr. Marko Bergovec Croatia
2010 Dr. Blaz Mavcic Slovenia
2009 Dr. Vladimir Harhaji Serbia
2008 Dr. Denis Trsek Croatia
2007 Dr. Klemen Strazar Slovenia
2006 Dr. Alexsandar Lesl Serbia & Montenegro
2005 Dr. Borut Pompe, Dr. Goran Bicanic Slovenia, Croatia
2003 Dr. Dragan Savic Yugoslavia
2002 Dr. Hrvoje Klobucar Croatia
2001 Dr. Robert Kosak Slovenia
2000 Dr. Robert Kolundzic Croatia
1999 Dr. Nenad Vladimir Atanasov Macedonia
1998 Dr. Drago Dolinar Slovenia
1997 Dr. Domagoj Delimar Croatia
1991 Dr. Davor Popovic
1990 Dr. Miroslav Lazarov Macedonia
1989 Dr. Rastko Stok and Dr. Zoran Blagojevic Slovenia and Serbia
1986 Dr. Goran Ercegan Serbia
1985 Dr. Ranko Bilic Croatia