Hand Surgery

[basmoq]

I'm trying to figure out how to locate Hand Surgery fellowships, and having a hard time finding any type of list. Anyone know where to find one, as it's a PITA trying to locate them one at a time...

My primary goal is to only apply to GS residency's in cities that have both hand and peds fellowships, as I plan to do one or the other (or both?).

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[Winged Scapula]

Hand Surgery fellowships are run through the NRMP fellowship match:

http://www.nrmp.org/fellow/match_name/cmmp/about.html

Please read the threads about the difficulty doing Hand Surgery as a General Surgery trained fellow (ie, no jobs, high liability, lots of workman's comp cases).

 

[maxheadroom]

You can find a complete listing of ACGME accredited Hand Surgery fellowships on FREIDA. There is also a listing on the ASSH website.

Hand vs Peds?? Pretty interesting split. Most General Surgeons use Hand as a backdoor into Plastics. As WS noted, the job market for Hand-trained GS isn't great, but there are lots of jobs out there in Hand.

 

[basmoq]

hmm, I had actually already looked at the NRMP website and it only linked me to Louisville Kentucky. I must have just clicked the wrong link? I feel stupid now😱 Well, thanks for the help!

 

[skiz knot]

hmm, I had actually already looked at the NRMP website and it only linked me to Louisville Kentucky. I must have just clicked the wrong link? I feel stupid now😱 Well, thanks for the help!

That's because Kutz and Kleinart is about the only place that will train Gen Surgeons to do hand. 😉

Gen surgeons are not GENERALLY considered the best hand surgery fellows, and getting a good job is tough. There is a steep learning curve when it comes to operating on that area of the body and it is difficult to learn it all in 1 year time (PRS and Ortho have experience already). As said before, most Gen Surgeons who do hand are eventually looking for plastics.

If your goal is to eventually do PRS, just do that (especially if Peds is a realistic option).

 

[maxheadroom]

You can search all three types (GS, ORS, and PRS). Technically, a General Surgeon is eligible for all three.

 

[basmoq]

That's because Kutz and Kleinart is about the only place that will train Gen Surgeons to do hand. 😉

Gen surgeons are not GENERALLY considered the best hand surgery fellows, and getting a good job is tough. There is a steep learning curve when it comes to operating on that area of the body and it is difficult to learn it all in 1 year time (PRS and Ortho have experience already). As said before, most Gen Surgeons who do hand are eventually looking for plastics.

If your goal is to eventually do PRS, just do that (especially if Peds is a realistic option).

Your statements are actually in direct contrast to what many of the general surgeons on these forums have posted in the past. This seems to be the attitude of the orthopods and plastics guys, but they have always themselves been known as rather chauvinistic... There have been several posts noting the rather large number of opportunities available for GS trained Hand Surgeons and debunking the statements you are making. Just an FYI.

 

[Winged Scapula]

While skiz knot may be overstating the case, honestly, there are MUCH fewer job opportunities and fellowships for general surgery trained residents.

Why?

What PRS or Ortho group wants to hire someone who can't cover for the partners (who don't want to then cover for you), who can't do any other general plastics or Ortho? If its a large multispecialty group and you do general surgery, covering for your GS colleagues, then its doable, but skiz knot is right...GS is not considered the best route to a Hand only practice.

Jobs may be more plentiful now as people are leaving the field in droves.

 

[basmoq]

well, since in my case I won't be eligible to apply for ortho or plastics (step 1 200), it is the only available route to me... I'd likely have done better on step 1 but my wife was having her acoustic neuroma removed about 12 hours after I completed the test and I was a tid bit nervous, not an excuse, but simply reality.