Pediatric Orthopedic Oncology Fellowship
Nationwide Children's offers the only dedicated pediatric orthopedic oncology fellowship experience in the United States.
Pediatric Orthopedic Oncology Fellowship
Nationwide Children's Hospital offers a one-year advanced orthopedic fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedic Oncology for interested surgeons and trainees that have completed a residency training program and/or previous fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery and are interested in focusing their training on the unique management and treatment of complex pediatric patients, including limb-salvage, amputation, and arthroplasty.
Nationwide Children's Hospital Department of Orthopedics is excited to be in the third year of our Pediatric Orthopedic Oncology fellowship program. This fellowship, focused on an intense, one-year training experience in the evaluation and management of patients in the orthopedic subspecialty of oncology and tumor, represents the first of its kind in the U.S.
Managing the skeletally immature pediatric patient population presents unique challenges that require dedicated, focused training. Our one-year fellowship is geared toward orthopedic surgically trained residents and physicians that may or may not have already completed an ACGME Musculoskeletal Oncology fellowship. Following training, the fellow will be proficient in managing complex limb salvage along with collaboration of treatment options with our multidisciplinary team. The program is unique in that it also allows the fellow to focus their interest and future career aspirations. Based on the high case load and diversity of cases, a fellow is able to customize their case interactions and longitudinal studies based on interest and specialization.
The fellow will be working in brand new, state-of-the-art facilities with exposure to collaborative clinics and have access to a tremendous research infrastructure.
What to Know
Curriculum
The schedule is designed so that the fellow has in-depth exposure to pediatric musculoskeletal oncology, as well as by other potential rotations within various pediatric orthopedic subspecialties (spine, hip, neuromuscular, deformity, and trauma all of which can be tailored to the interest of the fellow). The schedule allows for flexibility so that the fellow can be involved in interesting and unique cases and the ability to follow their own patients.
Our program collaborates with The Ohio State University Orthopedic Oncology program, including combined journal clubs, conferences, and other educational opportunities.
From an education standpoint, the fellow will be involved in department didactic lectures, mentoring and teaching of orthopedic residents, and participate in a weekly journal club.
Eligibility
- Pre-requisite training includes MD, DO, MBBS or equivalent.
- Candidates must have completed residency training in Orthopedic Surgery.
- United States candidates are required to have an Ohio training license or full license.
- Candidates from outside the U.S. are required to have an active Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate, appropriate vias and a limited permit to practice medicine in the state of Ohio.
Application Requirements
We currently are training one fellow per year in this fellowship program. Interested applicants are encouraged to send the following items to the program director and program coordinator via email:
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of interest
Thomas Scharschmidt, MD
Program Director
Thomas.Scharschmidt@NationwideChildrens.org
Jennifer Denny
Program Coordinator
Jennifer.Denny@NationwideChildrens.org
Meet Our Faculty
- Thomas Scharschmidt, MD
Program Director
Research
Research education and training are vital to the mission of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. As a top-ten free-standing pediatric research center and an academic affiliate of The Ohio State University, The Research Institute has an outstanding faculty, dedicated to training and mentoring the next generation of scientists in pediatric research.
Future research at the pediatric level will be a key component to this fellowship and will focus on among other areas, identifying what kind of interventions are able to fill the gaps between the adult and pediatric patient. Adult cancer disparities have been documented for years and continue to persist despite clinical advancements in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. Pediatric cancer survival has improved significantly in the United States for the past 5 decades to over 80%; however, disparate outcomes among children and adolescents with cancer still affect many populations in the United States and globally, including racial and ethnic minorities, populations with low socioeconomic status, and residents of underserved areas. To achieve equitable outcomes for all children and adolescents with cancer, it is imperative that concerted multilevel approaches be carried out to understand and address health disparities and to ensure access to high-quality pediatric cancer care.
The fellow will be provided with dedicated research time. Current ongoing projects include wound healing/nutrition in sarcoma patients, 3D printing and virtual surgical planning, outcome assessment for both limb salvage and amputee patients. Exposure to clinical trial development and industry relations are also provided.
Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Advocacy
Advocacy training fosters and encourages interest in child advocacy by early involvement and exposure to its many aspects such as addressing social determinants of health, community collaboration, health finance, health policy and legislative advocacy.
Salary & Benefits
Our Fellows are hospital employees, and as such, they are eligible for the same benefits other full-time staff receive (with the exception of paid time off, which is outlined.)
Contact Us
Thomas Scharschmidt, MD
Program Director
Thomas.Scharschmidt@NationwideChildrens.org
Jennifer Denny
Program Coordinator
Jennifer.Denny@NationwideChildrens.org
