Curriculum

Fellows will be assigned to one faculty member (Dr. Paul Fortin, Dr. Allan Grant, Dr. Zachary Vaupel, Dr. Sean Matuszak) in three-month blocks throughout the academic year. During each block rotation, fellows will follow the faculty member’s clinic and surgery schedule, which will provide education regarding continuous care. Drs. Zachary Vaupel and Sean Matuszak cover general orthopedic trauma call, and the fellow will participate in those cases during the assigned block rotations. Fellows will also work directly with orthopedic residents, outside rotating residents, and medical students. During each block rotation, protected time will be provided for research activities.

Fellows will be financially supported to attend at least one meeting during the fellowship year, such as:

• Michigan Orthopedic Society Annual Scientific Meeting
• Mid-America Orthopedic Society Annual Meeting
• American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting
• American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting

The program will also offer educational opportunities through our onsite, dedicated orthopedic research program. Additional educational regarding practice initiation and management, coding and billing regulations, bioethical, and medico-legal issues will also be provided.

Foot and ankle surgery teaching conference

• Weekly activity; foot and ankle surgery only
• Held every Wednesday at 6:30 am in the suite 100 conference room
• Faculty, fellow, orthopedic residents, outside rotating residents, and medical students attend
• Conference is led by faculty and organized by the fellow
• Interesting and challenged foot and ankle cases are presented and discussed, including: preoperative evaluation, diagnostic workup, treatment options, surgical planning, intraoperative findings, review of current literature regarding presented case(s), and postoperative imaging studies
• Fellow is required to present a lecture at least once quarterly

Foot and ankle surgery journal club

• Monthly activity; foot and ankle surgery only
• Held monthly (second Tuesday; September through June) at 6:30 p.m. at various locations
• Faculty, fellow, all orthopedic residents on service attend, and are expected to review the selected articles prior to the meeting

Foot and ankle surgery research conference

• Monthly activity; foot and ankle surgery only
• Held monthly (third Tuesday) at 6:15 am at various locations
• Faculty, fellow as well as orthopedic residents and medical students interested/participating in foot and ankle research attend
• Conference is led by research staff, with discussion focusing on progress and timelines of current research studies as well as development of future studies

Orthopedic surgery lecture series

• Weekly activity; all-department
• Series is part of the core
• Curriculum of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
• Held every Friday at 6:30 am in the HNH Conference Room
• Attended by the entire department (staff, residents, fellows, researchers, etc.)
• Conference is led by department chair
• Cases selected by staff and orthopedic residents
• Fellow is required to present a lecture at least once annually

Orthopedic surgery morbidity and mortality conference

• Monthly activity; all-department
• Series is part of the core curriculum of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
• Held monthly (last Friday) at 6:30 am in the HNH Conference Room
• Attended by the entire department (staff, residents, fellows, researchers, etc.)
• Conference is led by department chair; cases selected by chief resident
• Fellow required to present cases in which he/she was involved; literature review required

Orthopedic surgery grand rounds

• Monthly activity; all-department
• Series is part of the core curriculum of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
• Held monthly (first Friday) at 6:30 a.m. in the HNH Conference Room
• Attended by the entire department (staff, residents, fellows, researchers, etc.)
• Distinguished visiting orthopedic surgeons are invited by the department; all subspecialties are covered throughout the academic year
• Orthopedic surgery interesting case conference incorporated; cases are presented to the visiting faculty by residents/fellows, which is followed by a lecture by the visiting faculty

Orthopedic surgery gross anatomy cadaver dissection course

• Weekly activity; all-department
• Series is part of the core curriculum of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
• Held every Thursday at 7:00 am in the Applebaum Simulation Learning Institute
• Prosection is the responsibility of second-year orthopedic residents
• Fellow will attend and participate in the anatomy sessions that pertain to foot and ankle surgery

Orthopedic surgery bioskills laboratory

• Monthly activity; all-department
• Series is part of the core curriculum of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
• Held monthly (first Tuesday) at 4:00 pm in the Applebaum Simulation Learning Institute
• All orthopedic residents and fellows attend
• Conference is led by staff and corporate sponsors
• Structured as sawbones - or cadaver-based workshops; allows residents and fellows to enhance surgical skills outside of the operating room

Note: Days and times are subject to change.