Yale-New Haven Medical Center - Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program for 2025/2026 Year

The Yale Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation Sports Medicine Fellowship is ACGME-accredited, which means we guarantee the highest possible standards for both institution-wide and program-specific requirements for the training that we provide. Completing an ACGME-accredited fellowship also makes you eligible to obtain a certificate of qualification (CAQ) in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.

As in all areas of medicine, Orthopaedics sports medicine is constantly providing an introspective examination of our medical practice to improve our efficiency, improve access to care, accelerate healing, decrease recovery time, limit time out of sports and work, and evaluate our treatment outcomes, involving both non-operative and operative cases. 

We look to achieve the optimal balance between the benefit of minimally invasive surgery versus the role of non-operative care and rehabilitation to give the patient the best opportunity for maximizing the body’s amazing ability to heal. 

We treasure this role, as an expert advisor to the patient, and look to provide them with the most up-to-date medical knowledge, while aware of our medical knowledge limitations. We strive to empower the patient to make the most educated decision they can for themselves.

Duration: 1 year (August 2025 – July 2026)

Faculty: Christina Allen, MD (Section Chief); Michael Medvecky, MD (Fellowship Director); John Fulkerson, MD; Elizabeth Gardner, MD; James Hsu, MD; Andrew Jimenez, MD; Christopher Schneble, MD; Stephanie Schmidt, MD (PCSM); Samantha Smith, MD (PCSM)

Clinical Experience: Having the resources of an academic medical center allows for a high level of tertiary care. Complex and revision cases are routinely referred to our facility, which will allow the fellow to gain valuable, unique experiences managing complicated cases. Having the access to tertiary level subspecialists in other medical and surgical fields allows for an ease of treatment in these complex cases and can dramatically improve your educational opportunities and experience.

Yale New Haven Hospital is a Level 1 trauma center, which offers a unique opportunity to evaluate and treat high-velocity and poly-traumatized patients. You will have access to tertiary level subspecialists in other medical and surgical fields, allowing for invaluable assistance in these complicated cases and improved/expanded educational opportunities.

Education: Our didactic program consists of two weekly conferences of the Sports Medicine section; a dedicated Fellow conference with a rotating schedule to include MRI conference, indications conference, journal club, and Orthopaedic Knowledge Update – Sports Medicine review sessions and a weekly combined resident-fellow conference.

The fellow is expected to participate in ongoing morbidity and mortality meetings and present at Yale Grand Rounds no less than once per academic year. The fellow is also expected to serve as one of the primary educators for residents, medical students, and advanced practice providers.

The fellow will be supported to attend the Annual AOSSM Fellows Course at the end of July just prior to the start of fellowship. This course has a strong emphasis on sideline and training room management. The fellow is encouraged to participate in national extra-curricular teaching & industry-funded surgical opportunities.

Research: We believe better strategies and outcomes are directly driven by data. The fellow is expected to produce at least one peer-reviewed publishable article during the one-year tenure and will work closely as a research mentor for the Yale Orthopaedic Surgery residents, as well as Yale School of Medicine medical students who demonstrate an interest in Orthopaedic Surgery. 

Team Coverage: As part of your experience with Yale Sports Medicine, you will have a dedicated high school to cover for home football games, assist Yale faculty with Yale University intercollegiate athletic teams and the WNBA Connecticut Sun, and more.