Sports Medicine Fellowship

The Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush Sports Medicine Fellowship Program is based at Rush University Medical Center, located in Chicago’s West Loop. The program offers an ACGME accredited postgraduate sports medicine fellowship, and positions are available for up to five board eligible/board certified orthopaedic surgeons. 

The fellowship is an extremely active clinical fellowship with a balanced exposure to knee, hip and shoulder surgery. During the average academic year, each attending performs 300-1000 surgeries. The fellows will be exposed to open and arthroscopic shoulder stabilization techniques, complex rotator cuff surgery, including evolving reconstruction techniques performed by attendings. Dr. Gregory Nicholson and Dr. Grant Garrigues perform a high volume of arthroplasties, including complex revision procedures. 

The fellow is exposed to current state-of-the-art endoscopic and open ligament reconstruction techniques including patellar, quadriceps and hamstring tendon autograft ACL surgery as well as lateral extra-articular tenodesis. Dr. Brian Cole and Dr. Adam Yanke have particular interest in cartilage and meniscal preservation techniques — Carticel, osteochondral allograft transplantation, meniscal transplantation and associated osteotomies. Dr. Yanke also focuses on complex patellofemoral stabilization including trochleoplasty and associated osteotomies. Dr. Jorge Chahla has developed a tertiary referral multi-ligament reconstruction practice. 

Dr. Shane Nho specializes in young adult hip arthroscopy to which he devotes the majority of his practice. This exposes the fellows to the latest techniques in complex hip arthroscopy as well as extra-articular surgery of the hip and pelvis. 

The fellowship is balanced between the OR and the office setting. One of the highlights for our fellows has been the opportunity to gain considerable experience in the office and understanding proper indications for surgical intervention. This is done under the direct supervision of the attending physicians in their private offices. 

Beginning with the 2004 season, the sports medicine physicians at Rush were chosen to be the team physicians for the Chicago White Sox. The fellows also take part in this endeavor, attending White Sox Training in Arizona, and also participating in game coverage. Dr. Nikhil Verma is the current head team physician for the White Sox following Dr. Bush-Joseph who has extensive team coverage experience. In addition, the sports medicine physicians were also chosen as the team physicians for the Chicago Bulls, with Dr. Brian Cole serving as the head team physician. We also provide coverage for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club covered by Dr. Brian Forsythe, Chicago Steel semi-pro hockey team, and NCAA Division 1 DePaul Blue Demons in addition to local high school team coverage. 

The fellows are exposed to all components of clinical and basic science research during the fellowship. The infrastructure allows fellows to get involved in projects from inception to completion. Study focus areas include FAI, shoulder instability, rotator cuff repair and shoulder arthroplasty clinical outcomes, patellar instability, clinical and basic science cartilage restoration and more. 

Another unique advantage of our program is its close proximity to the Learning Resource Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Our fellows have had the opportunity to attend and participate as junior faculty members in various courses sponsored by AAOS, AOSSM and AANA. This experience enhances the fellows’ education and provides access to nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field of sports medicine. 

Each year, five fellows are selected for the fellowship. The academic year is August 1 through July 31, thus allowing time for the fellow to prepare for written board examinations, move and get acclimated to Chicago. If you are considering a fellowship in sports, we hope you will consider our training program.

Applications

Applications are processed in conjunction with the AOSSM through the San Francisco Match (SFMatch.org). Applications are accepted beginning in August of each year.

For further information or questions, please contact:

Juanita Pounds-Walker, Coordinator 
Phone: (312)-942-0063
E-mail: juanita_pounds-walker@rush.edu