Elizabeth Weldin, MD, 2019
Hand fellowship at the University of Iowa truly provides a comprehensive upper extremity education. From complex elbow trauma and reconstruction, to pediatric hand differences, to microvascular surgery, there is nothing left to be desired in clinical experience. As the only tertiary center for miles around, the complexity and variety of cases range from routine and common hand problems, to the rare and once in a lifetime cases. Unique clinical opportunities, such as traveling on a mission trip to Honduras, only add to the experiences at home. Graduated responsibility allows for collaboration with faculty and clinical independence. Outside of the operating room and clinics, research opportunities are plentiful. The didactic curriculum is led by the fellow to allow for in depth study into topics of hand and upper extremity surgery, practice in lectureship, resident education, and case discussions with faculty.
The fellowship at the University of Iowa is the perfect stepping stone from residency level knowledge to the jumping off point for a career in academics or private practice. Collegial faculty, high level of case complexity and variety, and amazing patients lead to a unique and comprehensive education. Any trainee will leave well prepared and appropriately confident for tackling difficult problems independently.
Peter Chimenti, MD, 2016
The hand fellowship at the University of Iowa offers many distinct advantages that make it an outstanding program and a productive, educational experience. Exposure to clinical problems is diverse and the range of hand and wrist pathology is very broad. The University is a tertiary referral center for both the state of Iowa and surrounding regions of the Midwest, which means that clinics often include complex cases that are of interest from an educational standpoint. There is also the option to elect to spend time evaluating more common pathology in the office setting as well as managing routine postoperative care which is at the discretion of the fellow. The fellowship also includes a significant proportion of pediatric patients with a thorough exposure to common conditions like syndactyly, pediatric trigger digits, ganglion cysts, etc. More complex pathology including arthrogryposis and cases including pollicization are seen and round out the pediatric exposure. Trauma patients represent another large segment of the patient population and although the residents typically provide emergency department triage, the fellow is involved in operative cases based on their level of interest and the case complexity. A solid foundation in the principles of bone and soft tissue trauma management is gained by the end of the year. Opportunities are available to gain added exposure specifically in areas including elbow trauma and reconstruction, soft tissue coverage, and shoulder surgery based on fellow interest level. The variety of pathology treated combined with significant flexibility in scheduling allows the fellowship to provide a very individualized experience while still providing a broad exposure to hand and wrist surgery.
Structured educational conferences are conducted on a weekly basis and provide a great opportunity to explore in-depth any topic that is of interest to the fellow. The topics are chosen in advance and relevant articles are selected to review with the residents and hand staff. These conferences help ensure that a scheduled reading program is adhered to throughout the year and also serve to make sure that gaps in the fellows’ exposure to key topics is minimized. Monthly journal clubs round out the conference schedule and are a great way to keep current with the latest literature. Research opportunities are also available based on interest level. Dedicated support staff are available to assist with clinical projects as needed. Overall, completion of the fellowship provides ample exposure to both common bread and butter hand cases in addition to complex cases suitable for a tertiary referral center and produces a well-rounded hand surgeon prepared for either academic or private practice.
Thomas Ebinger, MD, 2014
My hand fellowship experience at UIHC was phenomenal and left me well prepared to start my practice. I was exposed to a wide variety of hand pathology during the year including both common and rare hand problems. I left with surgical experience in nearly every arena of hand and wrist surgery including high level trauma, replantation, congenital hand differences, arthroplasty, nerve/tendon repair and reconstruction to name a few. In my experience the faculty were highly dedicated to teaching yet approachable, and they allowed a high level of autonomy. This allowed my confidence with decision making and surgical skills to grow throughout the year.
There were many research opportunities within the department and resources available to allow you to achieve research goals during your fellowship year. Weekly conference topics were chosen by me and they afforded great teaching opportunities while allowing me to work through a demanding curriculum in hand surgery. I left my fellowship year grateful, happy, and confident heading toward the next step in my career.