How do you fund your fellowships???

Hi,

I've posted a similar question in the fellowship forum but wanted to also post here to get an Attending's perspective:

I've recently been in contact with an Arthroplasty fellowship I'm interested in doing, and the director advised me that they'd like to have me but that the fellowship currently doesnt have funding, because it used to be funded by industry donation, but now with the tightening up of regulations re relationships between orthopedic surgeons and industry they're no longer directly funding fellowships.

Has anyone else come across this? If so do you know of other fellowship funding sources, or have you found ways of getting around the restrictions placed on orthopaedic companies being able to fund positions?

Thanks.

Fellowship funding remains a very controversial and volatile topic. There are several ways that fellowships are funded and although it's difficult to know for sure prior to the Department of Justice investigation into the "Big 5" implant companies there are estimates that ~70% of fellowships were solely supported by industry funding. It's actually impossible to know but suffice to say that it was a high percentage (not just arthroplasty fellowships - many sports fellowships were also supported by industry funding).

Since the conclusion of the DOJ investigation it is also safe to say that while not easily determined the overall budget for fellowship support from industry has likely diminished significantly.

Now there are several funding sources for fellowships including the following:
1) OmeGa - this is a 3rd party resource sponsored by the AOA (American Orthopaedic Association) to which Zimmer has provided financial support for fellowships/institutions to apply
2) OREF - this is another 3rd party resource sponsored by the OREF to which many implant companies have donated financial support for fellowships/institutions to apply
3) Smith-Nephew - Smith Nephew has elected to not participate in either OmeGa or OREF and has its own application system to which fellowships can apply
4) Hospital funding via ACGME
5) Private funding by the fellowship faculty

For all applicants it is incumbent upon you to understand the source of the funding for the fellowship so there are no "surprises" if the funding stream suddenly disappears.

Good luck --

wnl

Thanks Dr Levine . That was a very informative post .
Do you think there is any way a fellow can apply for a funding (also endorsed by the program )to any of above mentioned source or this necessarily has to appplied by the program itself .
I guess Im trying to ask if a certain program is ready to accept fellow but has no funds to support the fellowship , can the applicant try any of the routes?

Unfortunately all of those funding streams are directed to the specific fellowships which have to apply - not to individual fellows. Make sure that if you are accepting a contract to a fellowship that the funding is guaranteed regardless of industry support, etc... You have to protect yourself --

Good luck

wnl

One of the guys I know , was accepted to a fellowship and signed contract etc , but the fellowship later fell through as the funding could not be obtained .
Ive never asked about the availability of funding in any of my interviews , as its to be presumed , if they are holding an interview , they should have thought about funding etc
Dr Levine , the directors owe it to the applicants , to make this aspect clear before the contract , or else the fellow is left hanging in a limbo like the example above , which is quite horrifying and he cannot do anything about it
Im not sure what a guy should do in a situation like above when the program spills water on your plan in the end moments

The problem is that the entire funding/industry landscape is still far from stable. So the bottom line is that a program may think they have funding but ultimately you need to protect yourself and ask where the funding comes from (hospital, industry, self-funded) and understand what the stability of their funding source really is.

I don't disagree with your sentiment at all but at the end of the day all of the residents applying for fellowships need to be self-protective.

Good luck --

wnl