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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549
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                                    FORM 8-K

                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) November 25, 1996

                               CONMED CORPORATION
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          New York                        0-16093               16-0977505
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(State or other jurisdiction of         (Commission         (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)          File Number)         Identification No.)


   310 Broad Street, Utica, New York                                 13501
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(Address of principal executive offices)                           (Zip Code)


                                 (315) 797-8375
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              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Item 8.                      Change in Fiscal Year



               On  November  25,  1996,  the Board of  Directors  of the  CONMED
Corporation  (the  "Company")  adopted a resolution to change the fiscal year of
the Company  from a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the last Friday in December
in each year to a calendar year ending on each December 31. The change in fiscal
year is effective for the 1996 fiscal year, which will end on December 31, 1996.

               Because,  pursuant  to  Financial  Reporting  Release No. 35, the
change from a 52-53 week fiscal year commencing within seven days of a month end
to a fiscal  year  ending as of the last day of the month is not deemed a change
in fiscal year for purposes of reporting  subject to Rule 13a-10 or 15d-10 under
the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 if the new fiscal year  commences with the
end of the old fiscal year, a transition  report is not required  and,  thus, no
transition report will be filed by the Company.






                                    Signature


               Pursuant to the requirements of Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                                               CONMED CORPORATION



                                       By:/s/ Robert D. Shallish, Jr.
                                              -----------------------
                                              Robert D. Shallish, Jr.
                                              Vice President-Finance



Dated:          December 6, 1996