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Trauma Fellowship

Program History

The Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship at the University of Florida was established in 2010. Since its inception, we have strived to train orthopedic surgeons in the art of fracture care and the science of the traumatized patient. As our department and hospital has grown, so has the opportunities for our fellows. We take one fellow per year and participate in the match.

Mission Statement

The purpose of the orthopedic trauma fellowship at the University of Florida is to educate and train surgeons that will become leaders in their communities and champions for their patients.

Educational philosophy

Orthopaedic education is a dynamic process. It begins before medical school and continues throughout the years of the surgeon's practice. Because the discipline of orthopaedic surgery is progressing so rapidly, orthopedists must constantly update their knowledge and skills and be willing to critically appraise their own work. It is our goal to equip our fellows with strategies to help care their patients to the completion of their healing. We want to train clinicians who will be successful in any environment they find themselves; in either private or academic practice. As such, it is expected that the fellow will participate in research that results in a manuscript worthy of publication and will be an active member in resident education.

University of Florida Orthopedics Trauma Fellowship Introduction

Goals for the fellowship

  • Understand strategies for the polytraumatized patient
  • Complex peri-articular fracture management  
  • Pelvic and acetabulum techniques
  • Nonunion/Malunion treatment
  • Become an effective teacher
  • Analyze and contribute to literature

Faculty and Fellowship structure

The Trauma service is fortunate to have 5 faculty members, three dedicated to trauma full-time, several who have completed multiple fellowships.  The trauma fellow will work with all trauma faculty members, with priority given to complex cases, and there is no set rotation. As in most large academic centers, there is a full complement of residents and midlevel providers assisting in patient care, so the fellow can focus on case preparation, developing surgical techniques and research. In return, the fellow is expected to teach both in and out of the OR.

Call consists of one Saturday per month, to be taken with trauma faculty. Clinic 1 day/week on average.

Fellows attend OTA, one fellow-level pelvic course, and the OTA fellow course during their year with us.

Case Summary

Case Distribution
2019-2020
2018-2019
2017-2018
Upper extremity
80
86
51
Distal femur
33
20
17
Plateau
49
46
40
Pilon
26
25
24
Foot
31
35
36
Pelvis
63
72
31
Acetabulum
44
54
33
Nonunion/malunion
28
35
19
Total Cases
575*
602
681

*Case volume inpacted by COVID-19

Fellowship Graduates

  • Jacob Murphree- Lubbock, TX
  • Chris Sugalski- Ochsner, New Orleans
  • Wes Gladin- Rapid City, SD
  • Sunny Gupta-Jefferson Sports Fellowship
  • Chris Holden- Sarasota, FL
  • Matthew Patrick- Faculty UF
  • Candice Dubose- Faculty UAB
  • Chenthuran Deivaraju- Las Vegas, NM
  • Matt Klima- Sarasota, Fl
  • Jim McFadden- Ocala,FL