Overview

The Global Research Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a one- to two-year funded opportunity available to international orthopedic surgeons and trainees who have an interest in pediatric musculoskeletal clinical research and launching an academic career in their home country after completing our fellowship.

The research fellowship provides the participant with skills in clinical research methodology, fosters learning in statistics, and encourages participation in ongoing clinical research projects in multiple pediatric orthopedic subspecialty areas. The program promotes professional growth with the expectation that the fellow will return to their home country armed with new clinical knowledge and high-level research acumen to launch or expand academic programs back home.

About CHOP’s Orthopedic Center

The Global Orthopedic Research fellow will be mentored by international thought-leaders and skilled orthopedic surgeons from CHOP. The Orthopedic Center was ranked #1 in the nation for pediatric orthopedics in 2024-25 by U.S. News and World Report’s Rankings of Best Children’s Hospitals.

Fellows will be asked to focus their research efforts on two to three subspecialty areas. Current areas of research emphasis include:

• Sports medicine and arthroscopy
• Neuromuscular diseases and cerebral palsy
• Musculoskeletal tumors
• Limb deformities
• Pediatric orthopedic trauma and infection
• Spinal deformities
• Hand and upper extremity disorders

Our Orthopedic Center and world-renowned research staff are led by John (Jack) M. Flynn, MD, Division Chief, and Apurva S. Shah, MD, Director of Clinical Research. 

Fellows will primarily be mentored by three senior faculty members: Alexandre Arkader, MD, Keith Baldwin, MD, MPH, and J. Todd Lawrence, MD, PhD.

Program details

CHOP’s Orthopedic Center has a well-established and highly regarded clinical research office. Our dedicated research team includes:

• 11 orthopedic clinical research coordinators
• 3 statisticians
• 3 research fellows
• 1 data analyst
• A program coordinator

Our research team provides comprehensive support to Global Orthopedic Research Fellows by:

• Assisting with IRB submissions
• Extracting complex datasets from the electronic medical record (EMR)
• Ensuring compliance with research policies from the Orthopedic Center, CHOP and CHOP’s Research Institute
• Reviewing clinical data
• Analyzing radiographs
• Helping to prepare manuscripts for publication

Our team’s expertise is invaluable in guiding new researchers as they integrate into CHOP. Through regular meetings with the research team, fellows have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of research methodology and to present their work for expert guidance and feedback. 

Successful fellows will have the opportunity to co-author medical journal submissions and are encouraged to present their findings at regional or national conferences presented by leading organizations including the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and others.

This fellowship is designed to empower fellows to contribute to established projects alongside their mentors, while also developing their own research projects, which will ultimately encourage them to conduct independent clinical research in the future.

Through this immersive experience, fellows will develop the skills necessary to initiate, design, execute, and effectively communicate clinical research. Fellows will be able to shadow in clinic and the operating room, although this is not the program’s primary emphasis.

In addition, the fellow will have protected time for a structured educational curriculum which will include lectures on fundamental and advanced topics in pediatric orthopedics, a weekly case conference and quarterly research meetings.

Stipend & benefits

The chosen fellow will receive a $50,000 stipend to cover living expenses for the first year, as well as $5,000 travel expenses for domestic conferences in which research is being presented. Exceptional fellows with outstanding research productivity demonstrated in their first year may be considered for a second year based on availability of funds. Adequate sponsorship for completing a J1 research visa will be provided to applicants.

Eligibility

The Global Orthopedic Research Fellow should be a foreign medical graduate who has completed an orthopedic residency or equivalent in their home country. A planned career in pediatric orthopedics and academic medicine is strongly encouraged.

Additionally, there is the expectation that the applicant will return to their home country upon completion of the fellowship and that no further visa sponsorship will be provided.

An ideal candidate is less than 5 years out from their orthopedic training, but other candidates may be considered based on the specific situation.

Strong preference will be given to candidates who already have a faculty position secured in their home country.

How to apply & deadline

To apply, please submit the following:

1. Curriculum vitae (CV)
2. A brief 1- or 2-page cover letter detailing:
   • Your interest in the CHOP Research Fellowship
   • Your motivation in choosing CHOP
   • Your goals for the fellowship
   • Any specific subspecialty interests
   • The knowledge you hope to gain
   • How you plan to apply this knowledge in your future practice
   • The types of research projects you wish to pursue
   • Your post-fellowship career plans
     
     Be sure to include specific examples where applicable.
3. A brief description (not more than 350 words) on a proposed research project you hope to implement upon your return to your practice after completing this fellowship.
4. A letter of recommendation from a practicing orthopedic surgeon attesting to your career  plans after completion of the fellowship
5. Step 1 and Step 2 scores (if available)

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through July 1, 2025. We recommend applying as soon as possible. 

Applications should be emailed to: Research Manager Divya Talwar, PhD, at talward@chop.edu.

Other requirements

To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) on site at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees performing work for CHOP at non-CHOP locations. Additionally, all workforce members based in or regularly scheduled to work at any New Jersey location are mandated to be both vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, with booster timing consistent with applicable guidelines. The CHOP COVID-19 vaccine mandate is in alignment with applicable local, state and federal mandates. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Employees may request exemption consideration for CHOP vaccine requirements for valid religious and medical reasons. Please note start dates may be delayed until candidates are fully immunized or valid exemption requests are reviewed. In addition, candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.