Good luck to everyone in the upcoming Match! While we all hope for good news on Match Monday, we must realize we wonât all receive it. Itâs a good idea for us each to have a back-up plan, just in case. Despite having almost 20 interviews at top-notch programs last year, I was forced to use my back-up plan, and was relieved to have the opportunity to do a year-long Orthopaedic Research Fellowship at Penn. I am now putting the word out about my position for the 2009-2010 academic year to hopefully provide one of you with the amazing opportunity I had.
The research position is at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA), and is a one-year salaried full-time research position in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The fellow participates in entirely clinical Orthopaedic Oncology research with the chairman, Dr. Richard D. Lackman, and his new partner (the department is currently interviewing for this position). There are no clinical responsibilities, but the fellow is welcome to attend morning conferences (daily), Grand Rounds (weekly), sawbones workshops, and social events with the Penn residents. While the primary responsibilities are to the ongoing Orthopaedic Oncology projects (of which there are many!), the fellow is permitted to participate in projects in other divisions of the department. There are also opportunities to take courses and earn a certificate in Clinical Research Training through the universityâs Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, which I did and highly recommend. The position is very strongly self-directed, so if youâre motivated, it can be an extremely productive year. My year marks the 6th year of the fellowship, and the previous 5 fellows have all successfully matched into Orthopaedic positions on the second try. Though I canât yet relate that happy news on my own behalf, I can tell you that all of my interviewers this year have been exceedingly impressed with my updated CV and new letters of recommendation.
In addition to improving your research skills, youâll learn a great deal about Orthopaedic Oncology. Itâs a unique field where you will see cases unlike anything else in Orthopaedics. Many patients arrive in the office scared and leave reassured, either by their benign diagnosis or by the life- and limb-saving options available to them. No prior experience in Orthopaedic Oncology is required and you donât need a strong interest in pursuing it as a career to do this fellowship. Regardless, youâll gain a much better understanding of the field, learning how to recognize the rare musculoskeletal tumors which may present to your practice in the future and how to serve your patients well. The experience will also certainly help you on the OITE! Additionally, your general orthopaedic knowledge will also benefit from working in the department among great teachers and residents.
While our start time is flexible, we would like the fellow to start by the beginning of June (though earlier is better) so that the previous fellow can train the new one. I would encourage everyone to give the position serious consideration in the event of a âBlack Mondayâ.
Feel free contact me (the current fellow) with any inquiries about the position.
Rachel L. Slotcavage, M.D.
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If you are seriously considering this position, please fax your CV (include any board scores â official report not required) and a brief statement explaining your interest to 215-829-5060 (Attn: Rachel Slotcavage) or email the above documents as attachments to [url=mailto][email protected][/url]. We understand that you will no longer be interested in this position if you successfully Match into Orthopaedics. If you find out on Monday of Match week that you did not Match, please contact us IMMEDIATELY to notify us that you are still interested. The position usually fills by Wednesday of Match week.
Thanks and Good Luck!
