Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship

The Emory University Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program is an accredited graduate medical program designed to take place after completion of an accredited orthopaedic surgery residency. The program will offer 12 months of education beginning on August 1 and ending July 31 of the following year. The program will offer a broad based sports orthopaedic surgery experience involving the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle. Fellows will have a comprehensive team coverage experience that involves both professional and collegiate teams. At the completion of the fellowship, the fellow should be competent in basic and complex reconstruction of the shoulder and knee. He/she will also be exposed to soft tissue reconstruction of the elbow and ankle, as well as cartilage repair techniques of the knee, shoulder, and ankle.

Faculty

Current Fellows

William Ashford, MD
Samuel Carstensen, MD

Resources

The Emory University Department of Orthopaedics provides the environment and facilities for acquiring knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, and attitudes essential to the practice of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. The program director, supporting faculty and staff, and the administration are fully committed to the educational program.

Clinical Experience

Understand the nature and variety of injuries occurring in athletics.
Understand the biomechanics of athletic injuries and their prevention.
Develop and understanding and treatment strategy for athletic injuries.
Develop the educational and organization skills to become a team physician.
Be able to diagnose and treat athletically related foot and ankle injuries.
Be able to diagnose and treat complex injuries and pathology about the knee, shoulder, ankle and elbow.

Surgical Experience

Ankle instability reconstruction
Ankle arthroscopy
Elbow arthroscopy
Elbow medial collateral and lateral collateral ligament reconstruction
Knee arthroscopy
Knee ligamentous reconstruction (ACL, PCL, LCL, MCL, PLC)
Knee cartilage transplantation (autologous and allograft) and repair
Knee meniscal transplantation
Knee patellar realignment and reconstruction
Shoulder arthroscopy
Arthroscopic shoulder subacromial decompression, distal clavicle excision, and rotator cuff repair
Arthroscopic and open instability reconstruction
Tendon transfers about the shoulder
Revision surgery of the shoulder and knee
Arthroscopic labral repair
Hip arthroscopy

Didactic and Practical Experience

Atlanta Falcons sideline and training room coverage
Emory University and Georgia Tech athletic team coverage
Grand Rounds once per week
Sports Medicine Journal Club monthly
Annual Georgia Orthopaedic Society Meeting
Annual Georgia Shoulder and Elbow Society Meeting
Orthopaedic biomechanics laboratory research experience
Monthly sports medicine research meeting
Periodic sports medicine visiting lecturers
Sports Medicine clinic 2 days per week
Sports Medicine operative experience two days per week

Conference Schedule

Sports Medicine Conference (06:30-07:30): second and fourth Friday of each month
Sports Medicine Journal Club: third Friday of each month
Sports Science Research Group: first Friday of every month
Orthopaedic Basic Science (17:30-18:30): Each Thursday
Orthopaedic Core Curriculum (07:30-08:30): Each Tuesday
Orthopaedic Grand Rounds (06:30-07:30): Each Tuesday
Annual Georgia Orthopaedic Society Meeting
Annual Georgia Shoulder and Elbow Society Meeting
Annual Emory Sports Medicine Symposium

Program Research and Scholarly Activity

Upon the Fellow's arrival August 1, an outline of research topics will be discussed with him/her. He/she will select the project(s) in which he/she is interested or submit a modification of one for approval. In instances when the fellow has a well-outlined research idea, this project may be implemented during his/her fellowship year. The fellow will select a research mentor among the sports medicine faculty and adjunct faculty.

Active participation with staff and residents in clinic, operating room and conferences
Give sports medicine lectures quarterly
Lead sports medicine journal club (AJSM, JSES, and Arthroscopy) once per month
Participate in appropriate conferences on a regular basis
Design and implement at least one research project for presentation at a National meeting and submit for publication in a peer-review journal
Assist in the coordination and administration of the annual Emory Sports Medicine Symposium

Research Personnel and Facilities

The Emory Department of Orthopaedics has numerous opportunities for orthopaedic research. The sports medicine fellow will be expected to take advantage of these resources to design, implement, and complete his/her research project(s).

Facilities

The Emory Department of Orthopaedics has one biomechanics laboratory for research purposes. The biomechanics laboratory also houses an Instron machine for various testing purposes. The Emory Sports Medicine Fellow will have access to private workspace, phone, and desktop computer.

Library

The Emory Sports Medicine Fellow will have access to a well maintained library in our conference room as well as the Emory Health Sciences Library.

Sports Medicine Experience

Our staff provides coverage for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and numerous local colleges, including Emory University, Georgia Tech, Oglethorpe University, Agnes Scott College, and Georgia Perimeter College. In addition, we provide coverage for several area high schools. This clinical volume provides an extensive opportunity for diagnosing and treating sports medicine pathology during the fellowship.

Surgical Experience

The orthopaedic surgical faculty has busy clinical practices that encompass the entire spectrum of sports medicine and shoulder surgery. The combined faculty staff approximately 200 clinic visits per week and perform 25 to 30 surgical cases per week.

Application Process

The program follows the protocol of the San Francisco Match. No additional materials are necessary. Letters of recommendation should include a letter from your Department Chair and another from your Sports Medicine Section Chief. Please send your application to SF Match. Application deadlines and interview dates will be listed on the website.

Salary/ Vacation

The Emory Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellow will be credentialed as an Emory faculty member at the Senior Associate level during his/her fellowship. The salary is commensurate with a PGY-6 level. A comprehensive health insurance, malpractice and benefits package is also provided. The fellow will receive two weeks of paid vacation during the year, with no more than one week to be taken consecutively. The fellow will travel to one conference per year, in addition to any conference in which he/she is the presenting author of a paper.