My name is Brendan Southam and I am the current Orthopaedic Surgery Research Fellow at the University of Cincinnati. I wanted to share the experience I have had in this position over the course of the last year for anyone who may have found themselves in the unfortunate position of not having secured a residency spot in orthopaedic surgery. I know firsthand that not matching is a devastating feeling, but I would encourage you to keep your head up and immediately start working on your plan for securing a match next year. All of the research fellows in our program over the last 7 years have been successful in matching into an orthopaedic residency program; clearly a testament to the strength of this program and the fact that a successful reapplication is possible.
I will echo the sentiment of previous research fellows who have come through this program in saying that I feel that this research fellowship is truly one of the strongest programs in the country. The foremost strength of this research fellowship is how heavily integrated the research fellow is with the department. I have worked very closely with 6 of the department’s faculty on roughly 15 different projects during my time here. Through these interactions, I have received close counseling and mentorship which has greatly strengthened my abilities as a leader and as a clinical researcher. Additionally, the fellow is encouraged to attend all of the lectures, including grand rounds, M&M’s, skills labs, journal clubs and all departmental functions. The fellow attends the orthopaedic trauma team sign-out every morning to screen for potential research patients for the department’s ongoing prospective RCT’s. You will have the opportunity to shadow one of the trauma attendings in clinic two half-days a week as well. All in all, this year is full of phenomenal opportunities which truly allow you to work on a variety of projects with exposure to the academic side of all the subspecialities in orthopaedics.
An additional strength of this program is how heavily the research fellow is supported. This is a paid position where the research fellow will receive a very competitive salary of $40,000 a year which allows one to live quite comfortably in Cincinnati. The research fellow is also encouraged to attend all the interviews they can and is given time off to go on as many interviews as they wish to. All the faculty and residents treat you as a member of the team and as a physician. You are given a great deal of autonomy and trust, creating an excellent opportunity for growth and productivity.
I feel I have had an incredibly productive year at Cincinnati. Thus far, I have had 3 abstracts accepted for podium presentations (1 of which I will be presenting) and 2 abstracts accepted for poster presentations at 2 national orthopaedic conferences. I have authored 2 text book chapters, and I have several papers currently being reviewed for publication. Ultimately, I expect to have 12+ publications from projects I have been working on throughout this year. I was successful in securing a large grant from an orthopaedic manufacturer to aid in conducting an investigation on their implant. I feel that I have undergone tremendous personal growth this year and I know these experiences will help me as an orthopaedic resident and as a future academic orthopaedic surgeon.
If you have found yourself in the unfortunate position of not matching and are truly interested in reapplying to orthopaedic surgery residency programs, I would encourage you to apply for this position. We are looking for self-motivated individuals who will be able to have a successful reapplication to orthopaedics the following year. Please reach out to me via email if you have any questions that I can answer for you. My email is
[email protected]. I wish all of you the best of luck!
Thanks for your interest,
Brendan Southam
