Objectives
Because the completion of an accredited orthopaedic residency training program should qualify the surgeon to care for the basic problems of multiply injured and critically ill patients, the education offered by the orthopaedic trauma fellowship should allow the trainee to acquire an advanced level of skill in the management of this population.
The primary fellowship objectives include:
-
The surgical as well as non-surgical management of musculoskeletal injuries with special emphasis on:
-
Pelvic and acetabular fractures
-
Complex periarticular fractures
-
Nonunions, malunions and osteomyelitis
-
Algorithmic decision making with respect to timing and sequencing of multiple injury management.
-
Postoperative and outpatient care, including the directing of rehabilitation.
-
Understanding the prophylaxis and/or treatment of the complications and sequelae of musculoskeletal injuries.
-
Injury management decision making, based on age and/or co-morbid medical problems, as seen either in the pediatric or the geriatric population.
-
Developing familiarity with and understanding the historical evolution of the methods available to treat musculoskeletal injuries.
-
The use of advanced technology and instrumentation.
-
Activities that foster the development of skills in teaching as well as laboratory and clinical research related to orthopaedic trauma.
-
Ethical, economic, and legal issues as they pertain to orthopaedic trauma care.
Furthermore, it is expected that individuals completing fellowship training in orthopaedic trauma care will be able to:
-
Organize and administer an orthopaedic trauma service, and coordinate the activities of the service with other administrative units.
-
Establish policies and procedures for the management of orthopaedic trauma patients.
-
Appoint, train, and supervise specialized personnel.
-
Teach the specialized body of knowledge required for the comprehensive management of the orthopaedic trauma patients.
-
Develop and pursue research in various areas of orthopaedic trauma care.
Schedule
The orthopedic trauma fellow is expected to spend his/her time in research 1 day per week and the other days split between the operating room and clinics. Call will be, on average, one weekday per week and every 5th weekend. The fellow will be on call with an orthopedic trauma attending. Each fellow will have four weeks of vacation.
Board Rounds
Morning X-ray rounds begin at 7:00 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. During X-ray board rounds, the on-call residents present the cases that were treated during the previous 24 hours. The orthopedic trauma fellow will be encouraged to comment on treatment options, reduction methods, and relevant literature related to these cases.
Conferences
Didactic conferences take place at the University of Colorado Wednesday mornings from 7-9am. The fellow is expected to participate in grand rounds, the trauma core resident curriculum, the summer anatomy course and mortality and morbidity conference. Fellow assignments will be made by the Trauma fellowship director.
Orthopedic Trauma Journal Club
The orthopedic trauma fellow, residents and attending staff are responsible for topic selection, review, and reading assignment on a monthly basis. The trauma fellow and attending will read every article to be presented by a resident during trauma journal club.
Research
The orthopaedic trauma fellow must complete at least one publishable research project. Fellow will have the support of a full-time ND, PhD, and research assistants. Further research; as well as, grant writing is encouraged and will be supported.
Administration
The orthopedic trauma fellow will assist the trauma attendings in the administration of the orthopedic trauma services. The attendings, particularly the director and associate director, will provide opportunity for the fellow to observe and be mentored in the organizational and administrative aspects of internal and external trauma system development.
Meetings
The orthopedic trauma fellow will be provided the opportunity to attend several meetings sponsored by the AAOS and industry. The fellow will attend the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association in the fall. The department of Orthopedic Surgery will subsidize travel, hotel and meeting costs.
Program Statistics
Director: Dave Hak, MD
University Affiliation: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Hospital size: 500 beds
Length of fellowship: 1 year
Fellowship positions: 1
Stipend: $56,769+ benefits
Full-time Orthpaedic Trauma Faculty: 4
Trauma Admissions/year: 2,025
Emergency Department Encounters/Year: 46,423
Qualifications of Applicant
All candidates for this fellowship position must be graduates of approved residency programs and must obtain a valid Colorado medical license
ACGME Accredited
No