OC Careers

Hear from past Fellows

We had the pleasure of interviewing Fellows from our Sports Medicine, Shoulder & Elbow program, class of 2023. Hear what they had to say about their experience & the how the new International component added to their training.

Applications are open July through November. 

Apply Now: https://sfmatch.org

Current Fellows

Clinical Faculty

Research

Research is a priority of the fellowship, as we believe a high level of proficiency in research is critical for leadership in all practice environments.  We believe this is best achieved with a ‘quality over quantity’ approach. While the opportunity is there for far greater productivity, fellows are only asked to complete 2-3 high-quality projects that contribute significantly to the literature.  To achieve this, fellows have weekly protected research time and are supported by OrthoCarolina Research Institute (OCRI). A close relationship with Atrium’s nationally ranked orthopedic residency also provides many opportunities for co-authored publications with motivated and highly capable residents.

Sample Case Log

• Sample Case Log 1
• Sample Case Log 2
• Sample Case Log 3

Rotations

All rotations are based on a one-on-one mentorship model.  The heart of the training program involves an initial one-month rotation with each complex knee (Dr. James Fleischli & Dr. Dana Piasecki) and complex shoulder (Dr. Patrick Connor & Dr. Shadley Schiffern) faculty member, followed by a two-month repeat rotation with each.  An additional one-month hip rotation with Dr. Durham Weeks occurs in the second half of the year. 

Fellows are allowed one surgical case off-rotation each week with any sports center faculty, including Drs. Jonathan Riboh (Pediatrics Sports), and Bryan Saltzman (Biologics / Complex Knee), and may increase their hip, complex knee or shoulder experiences in the second half of the year to meet specific requirements their new practices may have (i.e. extra dedicated rotation with specific faculty members). Additional optional operative exposure to Dr. Nady Hamid (Complex Shoulder / Elbow) is possible for each fellow for one month.  

Autonomy

We recognize one of the most stressful professional transitions is the move from fellowship into surgical practice and believe this transition can be made substantially easier with graduated exposure to autonomous practice during the fellowship year.

For that reason, in addition to the normal, graduated autonomy provided by each faculty member, fellows are given additional exposure to autonomy outside their mentors, which can be further developed their experience depending on their comfort level.

To this end, an independent practice experience is provided through coverage of the Myers Park Clinic (one fellow cover one-half day each week), a resident run clinic with the opportunity to independently indicate and perform sports operations as an attending.  Fellowship faculty, just as your partners will be in practice, are available for backup and are happy to serve as assistants in particularly complex cases.  Recognizing that call is part of all practices, fellows may take advantage of optional paid Level 3 ER Call to further their development towards comfortable autonomy.

Additionally, Fellows are given an autonomous Team Physician experience in taking care of their own high school throughout the year.

Criteria for Promotion & Graduation

Upon completion of this program, the fellow should be well-grounded in the evaluation and treatment of common sports-related injuries, the more unusual injuries requiring PCL and multi-ligamentous knee reconstructions, periarticular osteotomies of the knee, meniscal and cartilage transplantation, complex open shoulder, both primary and revision arthroplasty, and hip arthroscopy.

Additionally, through experience teaching residents, the fellow should be comfortable in the role of educator so they might be teachers for their patients in methods of prevention and management. Fellows should be proficient at both interpreting and conducting research, equipped to begin careers of leadership in their local communities and at a national level.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

• High School Football Coverage
• Myers Park Clinic Coverage
• Research Presentation @ CHS Orthopedic Research Day
• UNC Charlotte Physicals
• Davidson College Physicals
• Heart of A Champion Physicals
• Mandatory Conference Attendance
  • 3^rd Monday Morning - Didactic Lectures
  • Thursday Morning – Weekly Grand Rounds/M&M (when sports topic)
  • Friday Morning – Weekly Sports Medicine Conferences: Research, Indications / M&M, Journal Club, Fellow’s Conference

• Research Requirement
  • Fellows are expected to complete 2 – 3 quality research studies during their one-year tenure, each of publishable quality. Fellows select one of their projects for formal presentation at an end of the year OrthoCarolina academic conference.

Conference Schedule

Monday Morning

• Didactic Faculty Lectures / 1 – 2 times per month

Thursday Morning

• Weekly Grand Rounds (where applicable to Sports)

Friday

• Sports Medicine Conferences : Rotation of Research , Indications, Sports M&M, Journal Club, and Fellows Conference
• Cadaveric Labs: 1 – 2 Labs per month (covering all arthroscopic and open procedures throughout the year)

MEETINGS

• AAOS Annual Conference
• Smith & Nephew (Hip Arthroscopy)
• NFL Combines
• Fellows Cartilage Repair Course (Mandelbaum)
• Mitek Athroscopy Forum
• San Diego Shoulder Course
• Arthrex - Annual Fellowship Forum

Team Coverage

Fellows will have significant - but balanced - exposure to team coverage at all levels including high school, college, semi-professional and professional teams defined by the attending they are rotating with. Each fellow will also act as Head Team Physician for a local high school throughout their fellowship year. The overall coverage experience is meant to provide fellows with a skillset to be highly effective team physicians - at any level of sport - without overwhelming time commitments that distract from the remainder of their education.  Practically, this amounts to an average of one high school or college game per week in the Fall, in addition to rotating coverage of the Carolina Panthers throughout the NFL season. This formula has proven highly successful in our history, with fellowship graduates now acting as successful high school, college and professional team physicians.

• Carolina Panthers
• Charlotte Knights
• Joe Gibbs Racing
• Hendrick Motorsports
• Charlotte Roller Girls
• UNC Charlotte 49ers
• Davidson College
• Johnson C. Smith University
• Charlotte Hounds
• Charlotte Cobras
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg High Schools
• Charlotte Latin School
• Charlotte Country Day School
• Providence Day School

Charlotte, NC Highlights