San Diego Soccer Institute

What San Diego Soccer Institute does

San Diego Shoulder Institute (SDSI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical education organization founded in 1983 by Dr. James C. Esch to deliver continuing medical education in shoulder surgery. Headquartered in Temecula and Carlsbad, California, and ACCME-accredited since 2005, SDSI runs a four-day annual shoulder course in San Diego attended by 400+ orthopaedic surgeons from around the world, alongside a portfolio of endured/on-demand courses, the Classic Lecture Series archive, webinars, cadaver and model laboratories, and an online CME credit certification system delivered through the Planion and Cvent platforms. The organization is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors composed of academic and clinical orthopaedic leaders and holds patronage relationships with international societies including ISAKOS, SLARD, and SECEC.

SDSI monetizes through four primary streams: (1) registration fees for the annual four-day course; (2) fees for endured/on-demand recorded courses; (3) CME credit certification services; and (4) corporate sponsorships from medical device companies, including Smith & Nephew, DePuy Synthes, and Enovis. Its go-to-market is event-driven, with the annual course acting as the principal customer acquisition channel and a platform for distributing supplementary digital content. The organization has recently expanded into ambulatory surgery center-focused programming (the "ABC's of TSA in the ASC" webinar) and has publicly signaled a 2027 redesign of its flagship course under the banner "Rethinking Shoulder Education."

The company has no disclosed revenue (as a private 501(c)(3)), no parent or subsidiary entities, no funding rounds, and no traditional ownership structure. Operations are lean, centered on a small executive team led by CEO James C. Esch, M.D. and COO Leslie Lebitski, with the board providing operational and financial oversight. Corporate sponsorships from a small number of medical device majors represent the most concentrated commercial dependency, while individual physician attendance constitutes a long tail of recurring demand.

Name

San Diego Soccer Institute

Legal name

San Diego Shoulder Institute

Website

https://sdsi-shoulder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Shoulder Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that provides ACCME-accredited continuing medical education in shoulder surgery to orthopaedic surgeons globally via its flagship four-day annual course and a portfolio of endured courses, webinars, and CME certification services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Medical Education (Orthopaedic Surgery)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC), Healthcare & Life Sciences (EDAAAPAA)

Keywords

• Continuing medical education
• Orthopaedic surgery courses
• Shoulder surgery training
• Medical conferences
• CME certification services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Course Registration: Fees for attending the four-day annual shoulder course which includes lectures, labs, panel discussions, and networking
2. Endured/On-Demand Courses: Electronic format courses inclusive of lectures, demonstrations, and detailed syllabus available for order. Content scalable for viewing on mobile devices.
3. CME Credit Certification: Online delivery of CME certificates following annual meetings with credit claim system
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship fees from medical device companies including Smith & Nephew, DePuy Synthes, Enovis

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

San Diego Shoulder Institute delivers accredited continuing medical education (CME) in shoulder surgery to orthopaedic surgeons worldwide. Its core is a four-day annual in-person course featuring lectures, cadaver and model laboratories, case-based panel discussions, and breakout sessions, complemented by on-demand endured courses, the Classic Lecture Series archive, live webinars, and CME credit certification services.

Product overview

San Diego Shoulder Institute offers a comprehensive medical education platform centered on its flagship annual four-day shoulder course, held for over 40 years. The organization provides a modular portfolio including on-demand endured courses, the Classic Lecture Series archive, CME credit certification services, live webinars, and hands-on laboratory training (cadaver and model labs). The annual course serves as the primary product, while endured courses and webinars provide supplementary digital access to educational content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Shoulder Course Flagship four-day annual in-person conference covering the full breadth of shoulder surgery and care for orthopaedic surgeons globally; features lectures, cadaver and model labs, panel discussions, case studies, and networking.
• Classic Lecture Series Curated archive of historic lectures showcasing the evolution of shoulder surgery procedures across four decades, available to orthopaedic surgeons for ongoing learning.
• Endured Courses On-demand recorded versions of the annual shoulder course inclusive of lectures, demonstrations, and syllabus content, delivered electronically via Cvent for viewing on mobile devices and tablets.
• CME Credit Certification Online continuing medical education (CME) certification service allowing physicians to claim credits and print certificates following course completion through an online portal powered by the Planion platform.
• Webinars Live and on-demand online seminar sessions covering targeted topics in shoulder care with expert presentations and Q&A.
• Cadaver Laboratories Elective hands-on training sessions using cadaver specimens for practicing arthroplasty and arthroscopy techniques.
• Model Laboratories Elective hands-on arthroscopic motor skills laboratories using plastic shoulder models for practicing surgical techniques.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Smith & NephewmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20262026 sponsor for ABC's (and 5 P's) of TSA in the ASC program
• DePuy SynthesmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20262026 sponsor for ABC's (and 5 P's) of TSA in the ASC program
• EnovismajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20262026 sponsor for ABC's (and 5 P's) of TSA in the ASC program
• ISAKOS (International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatronage organization providing international recognition and endorsement of SDSI courses and educational programs
• SLARDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatronage organization supporting SDSI educational mission in Latin American orthopaedic community
• SECECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow patronage supporting SDSI programs
• ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body providing official CME accreditation for SDSI educational activities

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Orthobullets: Orthobullets is an online orthopaedic education and board-review platform used by orthopaedic residents, fellows, and surgeons. It overlaps with SDSI's orthopaedic resident/fellow customer segment and competes for digital CME consumption hours.
• Vumedi: Vumedi is a digital orthopaedic education platform offering on-demand video CME content and live webinars to orthopaedic surgeons. It represents the digital-CME distribution model that complements and partially competes with SDSI's endured courses and webinars.
• Medtronic Orthopaedic Education / education programs of large OEMs: Major orthopaedic device manufacturers (Smith & Nephew, Stryker, DePuy Synthes/Johnson & Johnson) host their own branded surgeon education events and fellowships. These compete for the same surgeon time and faculty attention and represent an alternative to SDSI-sponsored programs.

Broad incumbents

• AAOS (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons): The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons runs the largest annual orthopaedic meeting (AAOS Annual Meeting) and ongoing CME courses for orthopaedic surgeons globally. It overlaps directly with SDSI's target audience and CME mission but at a much broader, multi-specialty scale rather than shoulder-only specialization.
• ISAKOS (International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine): ISAKOS is a global orthopaedic sports medicine society that already provides patronage to SDSI and hosts its own international congress covering arthroscopy and sports medicine. It is a partner-overlap; it competes for the same international orthopaedic surgeon audience and CME sponsorship dollars.

Others

• Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (Elsevier publisher): The flagship peer-reviewed journal in shoulder and elbow surgery is a complementary educational channel for the same specialist audience. While not a direct CME competitor, it sits in the same professional learning ecosystem as SDSI's lectures and enduring content.

Direct peers

• SECEC (European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow): SECEC is the European counterpart society dedicated to shoulder and elbow surgery education, hosting annual congresses and instructional courses. It is a current SDSI patronage partner but also a direct competitor for European shoulder surgeon attendance and industry sponsorship.
• ASES (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons): ASES is the dedicated society for shoulder and elbow specialists, hosting its own annual closed meeting and educational programs. It is the most direct shoulder-focused peer to SDSI, competing for the same surgeon attendee pool and operating in the same subspecialty CME category.
• AANA (Arthroscopy Association of North America): AANA is a specialty society focused on arthroscopic surgery education, with annual meetings, courses, and enduring content serving the same orthopaedic surgeon base. It directly competes with SDSI's arthroscopy curriculum and faculty mindshare.
• Orthopaedic Learning Center (OLC) / OLC Education: OLC hosts hands-on cadaveric and skills-based orthopaedic educational events, including shoulder courses. It is comparable to SDSI in offering cadaver/model labs and enduring content to the same surgeon attendee pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SDSICourse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SDSICourse
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandiegoshoulderinstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/SDSICourse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-shoulder-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Diego Soccer Institute