INTRODUCTION
The Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), part of the Allegheny Health Network (AHN), offers an in-folded Medical Education Research year as a part of the medical training. This non-traditional year should take place after the MSY-3 year for medical school students interested in applying to an orthopaedic surgery residency program. All research activity will take place at the AHN AGH campus. The goal of this research training is to prepare the orthopaedic surgery resident candidate for a career specializing in orthopedic surgery with a focus on benchtop research and additional clinical training. They will have at least one longitudinal research project and participate in at least one clinical research study. The medical student is expected to participate in basic science and clinical research activities with two accepted abstracts at national conferences for oral presentation and submission of two manuscripts for publication.
MEDICAL STUDENT FELLOWSHIP CURRICULUM Educational ProgramThe medical student will attend all multidisciplinary didactic orthopaedic conferences including faculty and guest lecturers, case presentations, Orthopaedic Grand Rounds lectures, M&M conferences, and journal club sessions.The orthopaedic medical student will be scheduled for outpatient ambulatory clinics which focus on the evaluation, diagnosis, pre-operative and non-operative decision making, along with outcomes and complications for several orthopaedic subspecialties.Medical students are also encouraged to participate in the education and clinical teaching of junior residents and senior medical students in and out of the operating room throughout the year.A student-initiated research project, along with a year-long basic science study are also strongly supported and expected during the fellowship as detailed above.
Medical Knowledge – The medical student is expected to develop a greater understanding as to the indications and principles behind orthopedic procedures. As a part of the educational experience, the student is expected to have an understanding in the science and the clinical aspects of orthopaedic treatments including in the areas of physiology, joint biomechanics and other models.
FELLOWSHIP FACULTY (Post-graduate, non-traditional)
Fellowship Committee:
Sam Akhavan, MD – Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon, Research Fellowship Director
Daniel Altman, MD – Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon, Residency Program Director
Boyle C. Cheng, PhD – Director of Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Research
The Medical student will be supervised and mentored by the fellowship committee and other Orthopaedic faculty members. The medical student will be evaluated by the faculty, peers, and allied health professions twice during the fellowship training.
DETAILS:Dormitory housing will be available free of charge for the fellow. Applicants must have successfully completed all Year 3 clerkships and sat for the Step 2 CK exam prior to starting the fellowship. Applicants must be able to start the fellowship by August 1st, 2025, but can start as early as they like. The fellowship will end on June 30, 2026.
APPLICATIONS:Please reach out to the Research Fellowship committee directly with a copy of your CV and a brief interest letter:
Sam Akhavan:
[email protected]
Dan Altman:
[email protected]
Boyle Cheng:
[email protected]
