British Orthopaedic Trainees Association

The British Orthopaedic Trainee's Association (BOTA) was set up under the direction of Mr Richard Rawlins in 1987 following a meeting in Oxford when 45 senior registrars met at a symposium entitled ‘Planning a career in Orthopaedic Surgery'. It subsequently became affiliated with the British Orthopaedic Association.

Since its foundation its membership has increased from 45 founding members to over 1000 specialty registrars (and recently appointed consultants). Orthopaedic surgeons make up around 40% of the membership of the Royal Colleges, and as the largest surgical specialty, has devolved from ASiT to represent the views of orthopaedic trainees specifically. However, ASiT and BOTA have a very good working relationship, and work together on many issues to represent surgical trainees as a collective.

Currently, full membership is available to all doctors holding a National Training Number in Trauma & Orthopaedics. As of 2010, junior membership is available to all other qualified doctors in approved training programmes (ie FY, CT or non-RTT ST) and more recently medical students, through BOTA and through our partner organisation, BOMSA.