Curriculum

Our fellows receive clinical training under the supervision of the attending staff of twelve full-time hand surgeons. Patient exposure is both in the office (40,000 visits per year) and in the operating room (5,500 procedures per year). The program emphasizes decision-making skills in which there is a progressive responsibility in patient management and treatment commensurate with the Fellow’s ability.

Fellows are challenged to contribute to the advancement of Hand Surgery through anatomic and clinical research, and to present their findings at scientific meetings. Upon completion of the program, we expect that participants will have completed a manuscript that can be submitted for publication in a peer review journal.

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive education in hand and upper extremity surgery. We anticipate that our Fellows will devote most of their practices to this specialty and become active members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Didactic Training

The following schedule is followed throughout the year except holidays.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
6:30-7:30 am Problem Conference	6:30-7:30 am Spit Balls, Curves, Sliders by Dr. Stern	6:30-7:30 am Anatomy Sessions (once a month)	6:30-7:30 am Selected Readings and Journal Club	6:30-7:30 am Didactic Lectures in Hand Surgery

Problem Conference: Each fellow prepares a case for presentation and discussion every Monday throughout the year. All cases are collected in the fellowship folder from previous years. Dr. Stern leads the discussion among the faculty highlighting differences of opinions and approaches to some of the common as well as the uncommon cases in hand surgery.

Spit Balls, Curves, Sliders: A life-long Reds Fan, Dr. Stern uses these three words, aka SCS conference, to illustrate some of the most interesting and unusual cases throughout his career.

Selected Readings and Journal Club: Selected readings consists of carefully chosen, extensively discussed, classic articles in 50 topics of hand surgery. Collection was created by Dr. Stern, revised and enriched by faculty over the years. These topics are coordinated and complemented with didactic lectures the next day. Full program can be found here. Once a month, we discuss the latest publications in hand surgery during Journal Club.

Didactic Lectures: 50 topics in hand surgery are covered by the faculty every Friday after reviewing its selected readings the day before. Full schedule can be found here.

Anatomy Sessions

Once a month (usually on second or third Wednesday of the month), we cover basic anatomy of the hand and upper extremity, as well as specific surgical techniques including wrist arthroscopy, soft tissue reconstruction, principles of AO, TMR (upper and lower extremity).

Rotation Schedule and Call Responsibilities

Fellows will be on call approximately once every fourth night and every fourth weekend. Fellows take call at the University Hospital with primary Hand Call every odd day and at two local private hospitals with an attending physician present. 

Clinical rotation follows the schedule below:

 

 

 

 

Microsurgery Training

This is one of the highlights of the fellowship. Traditionally, we set up two trips a year. One group goes to South America and Caribbean, primarily focusing on post-traumatic reconstruction. The other group goes to India and treats congenital differences and post-traumatic deformities. Fellows are provided funds to participate mission trips, set by the ASSH and other organizations.