At its meeting on March 8, 2010, the Board of Directors of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) considered the following automatic compliance matter and took the action indicated. The action was taken under Article VIII, Sections 8.2.d and 8.3.b of the AAOS Bylaws.

Gonzalo A. Covarrubias, MD
San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Expelled as Active Fellow

On June 12, 2008, the Medical Board of California revoked Dr. Covarrubias’s medical license with a stay of revocation based on 7-year probation with terms and conditions. The order was based on the findings that he failed to provide patient care and treatment within the standard of care for orthopaedic surgeons. Furthermore, the Medical Board found that he offered minimal evidence of explanation and no evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation.

Conditions of the probation included medical and psychiatric evaluations, quarterly declarations of probation compliance, completion of a clinical training program and completion of an ethics course.

On May 8, 2009, the Medical Board of California filed an Accusation and Petition to Revoke Probation as a result of a failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the probation. On September 8, 2009, the Medical Board proposed its decision to revoke the medical license of Gonzalo A. Covarrubias and, on November 9, 2009, this revocation became effective.

The AAOS Board of Directors voted to expel Gonzalo Covarrubias from the AAOS based on the revocation of his license to practice medicine.