Orthopaedic Surgery

Academics

The Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowship goals are:

For each fellow to become a leader in musculoskeletal healthcare
To train qualified orthopaedic surgeons in the diagnosis and management of disorders of the entire spine with an emphasis on the closely aligned subspecialty of neurological surgery
To train orthopaedic surgeons to diagnose and treat hand and upper extremity conditions by focusing on the congenital and acquired conditions of the pediatric population.
To refine technical skills necessary to treat the pediatric population in the surgical setting through direct implementation, supervision, observation and evaluation of the clinical fellow
To promote enthusiasm for scholarly activity and research using clinical or lab-based experience and discussion of the related ethical issues
To train fellows to understand the indications of non-surgical verses surgical intervention when treating the pediatric patient
To impart a lifelong enthusiasm for learning, practicing and teaching pediatric orthopaedics

Educational Goals

The broad educational goals of the Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship mirror the three-part mission statement of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center:

Patient care
Education
Research

Thus, the fellow is expected to achieve a level of excellence − not just competence − in each of these areas as they relate to pediatric orthopaedic surgery.

Specific targets and strategies for achieving these goals are established for each fellow through discussion and counseling with faculty members, both before and during the fellowship.

The following are considered the minimum educational goals to be achieved during the fellowship training period:

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Patient Care

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The ability to formulate treatment plans and deliver appropriate pediatric orthopaedic patient care is the primary goal of the Orthopaedic Fellowships at Cincinnati Children’s.

Failure to achieve this goal in a fashion satisfactory to the program director may result in formal remediation or extension of the fellow’s training period.

Fellows are expected to be tireless patient advocates, treating patients and families as if they were their own. Fellows are expected to develop psychosocial and interpersonal skills appropriate for a junior faculty member as they interact with and educate both children and their families.

Fellows are expected to prioritize and synthesize clinical and radiographic information so as to develop appropriate treatment plans for pediatric orthopaedic patients. Treatment plans should be firmly based on scientific reports in the literature where available, and based on prevailing opinion. Fellows are expected to serve as a resource to orthopaedic house staff when patient care questions arise.

Education

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The fellow is expected to excel both as a student and as an educator. These are essential lifelong skills for an effective pediatric orthopaedist.

In the role of student, the fellow is expected to attend all scheduled pediatric orthopaedic lectures given at Cincinnati Children’s and at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine. Furthermore, the fellow is expected to be self-directed in his reading and preparation in general, but know when appropriate faculty direction should be sought.

In the role as an educator, the fellow is expected to present lectures to the house staff in a manner befitting a junior faculty member.

The fellow’s daily involvement with the education of orthopaedic residents is particularly important, as such interaction has a synergistic effect on learning and consolidation of key concepts.

The fellow is expected to communicate in a clear and concise fashion and use audio-visual materials appropriately during presentations, as these skills are basic necessities to the pediatric orthopaedist.

Research

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Each fellow is expected to formulate appropriate research questions and, with the assistance of faculty members, develop research strategies to answer them. Preferably, at least one appropriate research question should be decided upon by the fellow and appropriate faculty members prior to matriculation or, at the very latest, at the end of the first month of fellowship. The fellow is expected to complete at least two non-case report projects during the course of the fellowship, such that completed manuscripts are submitted to an orthopaedic journal prior to completion of the fellowship. Failure to meet requirements may result in delayed receipt of the fellowship certificate.

In addition to the creation of new knowledge through research, the fellow is also expected to develop critical evaluation skills for the purposes of critiquing the research of others. Such skills are of critical importance to the pediatric orthopaedist, who must make treatment decisions based on published research. Fellows will be allowed to assist in JBJS, JPO, Spine and Clinical Orthopedic Related Research (CORR) manuscript reviews as assigned by the program director.

Fellows are expected to follow approved IRB procedures established by Cincinnati Children’s and work through the dedicated research coordinator as their principal investigator (PI).

Fellows should contact their attending’s respective research coordinator as soon as possible to begin mandatory training for clinicians entering into research. Refer to the Division’s eChirp page or Center Link’s Research page for critical training information and links.

Orthopaedic Surgery