Good luck to everyone in the upcoming match! While we all hope for the best, itâs a good idea to have a back-up plan just in case. One of the options available to you if you donât match is to do an Orthopaedic Research Fellowship. When I needed to use my back-up plan after last yearâs match, I was relieved to have the opportunity to do a year of research at Penn.
The research position at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) is a one-year paid research position in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The fellow does entirely clinical Orthopaedic Oncology research with the chairman, Richard D. Lackman, and his partner, Christian M. Ogilvie. There are no clinical responsibilities, but you do have the opportunity to attend some academic conferences with the Penn residents. The fellowship has been in existence for 5 years now, so there are plenty of ongoing projects and new ones to start. If youâre willing to work, it can be a very productive year. With new letters of recommendation and full time research experience, I got twice as many interview offers this year, and all of the interviewers were impressed with the research section of my CV. The four preceding research fellows have all matched in Orthopaedic Surgery.
In addition to improving your research skills, youâll learn a great deal about Orthopaedic Oncology. Itâs an exciting field where you will see cases unlike anything else in orthopaedics. The vast majority of patients come in scared and leave reassured, either by their benign diagnosis or by the life-saving options available to them. You donât need prior experience in Orthopaedic Oncology or a strong interest in pursuing it as a career to do this fellowship. Regardless, you will gain a better understanding of the field, which will help you on the OITE. More importantly, youâll learn how to recognize the rare musculoskeletal tumors that will show up in your practice and how to serve your patients well. Your general orthopaedic knowledge will also benefit from working in the department among great teachers and residents.
While our start time is flexible, we like the fellow to start by the beginning of June (or earlier) so that the previous fellow can train the new one. I would encourage anyone who doesn't match to give it serious consideration.
Feel free to inquire about the position with the current fellow (Eileen Crawford) or Dr. Ogilvie:
Eileen Crawford, MD
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Christian M. Ogilvie, MD
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If you are seriously interested in this position, please fax your CV and a brief statement explaining your interest to 215-829-5060 (Attn: Eileen Crawford). We understand that you will no longer be interested in this position if you match into orthopaedics. If you find out on Monday of Match Week that you did not match, you should contact us IMMEDIATELY to say that youâre still interested. The position usually fills within a day or two of that Monday.
Thanks and Good Luck!
