EDUCATION
A one-year fellowship is offered for five Board-certified or -eligible orthopaedic surgeons. Fellows are involved with the director and ten other fellowship-trained sports medicine orthopaedic surgeons with a balance of office and operative experience. Academic productivity is mandatory. Our goal is to develop the next generation of sports medicine leaders.
SPORTS MEDICINE FELLOWSHIPS
Our accredited program prepares fellows for dynamic careers in private practice, sports-based practices and academic affiliated positions.
Athlete Health Care
Our philosophy is that the health care of athletes will be improved by our continued educational efforts of our sports medicine fellows as well as other orthopedic surgeons and the orthopedic residents. These efforts are conducted through our research, as well as our community efforts with local sports medicine coverage and instruction of a variety of health care workers who serve the injured athlete. Our underlying theme of education and research is continually emphasized to the fellows and it is expected that they will follow our example by teaching residents, health care workers and orthopedic surgeons. The sports medicine fellow is expected to be involved with courses at the Orthopedic Learning Center in Rosemont, Illinois either with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine or the Arthroscopy Association of North America. These courses provide the fellow with the opportunity to work as an instructor at the knee and shoulder courses, advancing their educational experience as well as providing them the opportunity to share their education.
Sports Medicine-Related Prevention & Treatment
A broad exposure to sports medicine-related prevention and treatment is offered. The fellowship experience includes exposure to arthroscopy (primarily knee/shoulder), knee ligament reconstructions, and shoulder reconstructive procedures constitute the majority of cases. There is an excellent balance of knee operative procedures (50%) and shoulder procedures (50%). An active young adult hip arthroscopy experience also exists. Articular cartilage procedures, micro-fracture, and osteoarticular and meniscal transplants enhance training. The ten attendings perform over 4,500 procedures annually. Clinical and/or basic science research is required.
Nonsurgical Care of Musculoskeletal Conditions
An essential and unique aspect of sports medicine in comparison to many other aspects of orthopedics is the nonsurgical care of musculoskeletal conditions. The sports medicine fellow is expected to participate in on-the-field evaluation and locker room treatment of a variety of sports medicine conditions that do not require surgical management. They are expected to work closely with our athletic trainers who have developed a sophisticated network to care for a number of athletes in a variety of settings. This experience is complemented by the opportunity to work with the sports medicine attendings on using and developing rehabilitation protocols for the treatment of surgical and non-surgical conditions. The sports medicine fellow is expected to understand the variety of rehabilitation protocols necessary to provide the injured athlete with the best opportunity of returning back to their preinjury level of function. This skill at non-surgical treatment is an essential part of the educational process and distinguishes the sports medicine fellow as truly an expert in all aspects of sports medicine.