Pediatric Orthopaedic Scoliosis Fellowship

Overview

The Cleveland Clinic/Akron Children's Hospital Combined Pediatric Orthopaedics and Scoliosis Surgery Fellowship

The Cleveland Clinic/Akron Children's Hospital Combined Pediatric Orthopaedics and Scoliosis Surgery Fellowship offers outstanding clinical pediatric orthopaedic surgical training to two candidates each year who are seeking a flexible, individually directed clinical and surgical experience. Rotations through preceptor-based outpatient clinics as well as hospital-based surgical practice will comprise the vast majority of the fellowship. Fellows are appointed as junior faculty and participate in autonomous pediatric orthopaedic trauma call as well as management of their own individual trauma follow-up clinic as an independent provider.

The clinical fellowship is designed to provide a wide experience in children's orthopaedics and spine deformity treatments for the child and adolescent. Fellows will rotate with twelve staff pediatric orthopaedic surgeons and will be exposed to general pediatric orthopaedics, spine deformity, complex hip pathology, lower extremity deformity correction, pediatric foot disorders, sports medicine, arthroscopy, upper extremity/hand surgery, care of the child with neuromuscular disease and trauma.  Case logs demonstrate approximately 500 annually per fellow.

About the Facilities

Cleveland Clinic is a large multi-specialty tertiary referral hospital with over 1000 beds. Akron Children’s Hospital is a freestanding multispecialty children’s hospital and trauma center for pediatric trauma. The pediatric orthopaedic activity at both academic centers provides an exceptional breadth of exposure to pediatric orthopaedic fellows.

Rotations

Each rotation typically includes 2-3 surgical days per week and 1-2 clinic days per week. One day per week is "protected" and consists of a half day of research time and a half day of fellow trauma follow-up clinic. One fellow is at each institution at a time and will rotate every three months, for a total of six months at each institution.

Fellows are expected to take trauma call at each institution as junior faculty. Residents are the first line for consults at each institution and the fellow surgeon ultimately directs and delivers care.

Fellows are expected to be actively involved in resident and medical student education. This includes twice weekly pediatric orthopaedics conferences, clinics, and the operating room. Conferences include a topic based didactic conference weekly with a rotating schedule, as well as a weekly indications conference. Fellows will function as an integral part of the pediatric orthopaedic health care team. Each institution has anywhere from 2-5 residents on service at any given time.

Research

Fellows are expected to engage in original research activity and ultimately produce at least one manuscript of publication quality at each institution during the fellowship year. Attendance at one meeting (POSNA, IPOS) is encouraged. Two visiting professorships per year are organized, one at each institution, where the fellow and residents can present scholarly work and network with the visiting professor as well as other regional visiting faculty. Fellows are also invited as faculty at the annual Akron Children’s resident review course each fall and are expected to present didactics and proctor lab sessions.

Application Process

This fellowship participates in the SF Match program. Interview dates for 2023-2024 will be scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2024 (virtual) and Saturday, March 9, 2024 (in person). Inquiries and additional information can be obtained through the fellowship director's office.

Fellowship Information

Duration: 1 year (August 1 to July 31)
Deadline: September 30
Stipend: $75,569 plus benefits
Location: Cleveland Clinic/Akron Children's Hospital

Interview Dates: January 6, 2024 (virtual) and March 9, 2024 (in person)

Contact Information

Ryan C. Goodwin, MD
Program Director
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave/Desk A41
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: 216.444.4024
Fax: 216.445.3585

Todd F. Ritzman, MD
Director of Education
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
215 W. Bowery St., Suite 7200
Akron, Ohio 44308
Phone: 330.543.3500
Fax: 330.543.5001

Faculty

Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship Staff

Cleveland Clinic

• Ryan C. Goodwin, MD
• David P Gurd, MD
• Thomas E. Kuivila, MD\
• Paul Saluan, MD
• Joseph Styron, MD, PhD
• Ernest Young, MD

Akron Children's Hospital

• Mark Adamczyk, MD
• Ken Bono, MD
• Drew Engles, MD
• Lorena Floccari, MD
• Sheryl Handler, MD
• Kerwyn C. Jones, MD
• John D Polousky, MD
• Pat Riley Sr., MD
• Todd Ritzman, MD
• William Schrader, MD