Orthopaedic Surgery Research Fellowship

1-2 year program for orthopaedic surgeons

The research fellowship program in the Division of Orthopaedics is a one- to two-year funded opportunity available to U.S. and international orthopaedic surgeons and trainees who have an interest in pediatric musculoskeletal clinical research.

CHOP’s orthopaedic fellowship program, founded in 1988, has funded over 90 fellows in both clinical and research capacities.  The research fellowship program provides fellows with skills in clinical research methodology, fosters learning in statistics, and allows the fellow to participate in ongoing clinical research projects in a subspecialty area or areas of their interest. 

The program promotes professional growth with hope that fellows will be able to return to their clinical setting with new knowledge and research acumen.

Current areas of research emphasis

  1. Spinal deformity and spine biomechanics
  2. Sports medicine and arthroscopy
  3. Neuromuscular diseases and Cerebral Palsy
  4. Pediatric orthopaedic trauma and infection
  5. Pediatric and adolescent hip disorders
  6. Pediatric foot and ankle disorders
  7. Pediatric hand surgery

Educational goals

Fellows will select an area of pediatric orthopaedic interest. The division Chief John (Jack) M. Flynn, MD, and director of clinical research Keith Baldwin, MD, MPH, will assist the fellow in identifying a mentor in that concentration area from our world renowned staff.  The fellow will meet with this mentor on a weekly to bi-weekly basis to discuss projects and progress.  The fellow will meet with the director of research on a monthly basis to assure that their projects are methodologically sound and headed in the right direction.  An educational curriculum will be attended including lectures on basic and advanced topics in pediatric orthopaedics, a weekly case conference, as well as quarterly research conferences in which the fellows will learn about research methodology, and present their work for help from the faculty.

The research fellows will be expected to present their work at a national conference during the tenure of their fellowship (POSNA, SRS, AAOS, AAP, OTA or similar conference).  Additionally, the fellows will be expected to submit their work for peer reviewed publication by the end of their fellowship.

Resources

The fellow’s greatest resource at CHOP is their mentor.  They will guide the research experience the fellow has at CHOP.  Four clinical research coordinators assist in submitting IRBs, assuring compliance, and navigating CHOP’s research apparatus.  We provide computers and online access through Penn’s biomedical library to thousands of peer reviewed publications.  Additionally, the division will provide formal IRB/ HIPAA training.  A fellow handbook is available to answer any day to day questions the fellow may have.

Research fellows

2014-15 — Emmanouil Grigoriou, MD, Nariman Abol Oyoun, MD

2013-14 — Emmanouil Grigoriou, MD, Muayad Kadhim, MD
2012-13 — Bibek Banskota, MD, Dino Colo, MD
2011-12 — Camila DeMattos, MD, Chanika Angsanuntsukh, MD, Denis Sakai, MD
2010-11 — Ali Al-Omari, MD, Juan Pretell, MD
2009-10 — Sachin Kulkarni, MD, Patrick O’Toole, MD, Prakash Sitoula, MD, Shikshya Shrestha, MD
2008-09 — Gela Bajelidze, MD, Khujanazarov Ilkhom, MD, Raed Salman, MD
2007-08 — Gilbert Chan, MD, Jorge Gomez, MD, Hua Ming Siow, MD, Ismail Sofa Satoglu, MD
2006-07 — Gilbert Chan, MD, Mik Gocke, MD, Om Shrestha, MD
2005-06 — Sevrino Bautista, MD, Purushottam Gholve, MD, Yakup Yildirim, MD
2004-05 — Alex Arkader, MD, Luba Celerin, MD
2003-04 — Harish Hosalkar, MD, Alyssa Schaeffer, MD
2001-02 — Bulent Erol, MD
2000-01 — Hanna Bassam, MD
1997-98 — Naohiro Asada, MD
1996-97 — David Spiegel, MD

How to apply

To apply, submit the following:

  • A completed application (link to application)
  • A typed summary answering the following questions specific to the CHOP Orthopaedic Fellowship:
  1. Why do you want to come to CHOP for a research fellowship?
  2. What do you hope to accomplish during fellowship years at CHOP?
  3. Do you have an interest in a particular subspecialty of pediatric orthopaedics? Please explain.
  4. Is there specific knowledge that you hope to gain during your fellowship year?
  5. How will you use the knowledge acquired during the fellowship in your practice?
  6. What projects/ types of projects would you want to work on as a research fellow? Please cite specific examples.
  7. What are your plans after you complete your fellowship program?
  8. What are your plans in 5 years? 10 years?
  • Acceptance to our program is conditional on completion of the application, the summary questionnaire and fulfilling all requirements.

Tobacco-free hiring policy

To help preserve and improve the health of our patients, their families and our employees, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has a tobacco-free hiring policy. This policy applies to all candidates for employment (other than those with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey) for all positions, including those covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Job applicants who apply after July 1, 2014 will be expected to sign an attestation stating they’ve been free of nicotine or tobacco products in any form for the prior thirty (30) days. They will also undergo a cotinine test as a part of the Occupational Health pre-placement drug screen administered after the offer of employment has been accepted but before the first day of hire.

Exemptions: Attending physicians (excluding CHOP physicians in the Care Network), psychologists, principal investigators and/or Penn-based faculty are exempt from this process to better align with our colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

More information

For more information about the Orthopaedic Surgery Research Fellowship, please contact Catherine O'Shea.


Next Steps