Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship Program
Faculty Members:
• Timothy P. Carey MD, FRCSC, Professor
• Debra L. Bartley, HBSc, MD, FRCSC, Professor
• Mohamed Hassanein MBBCh, MSc, PhD, Assistant Professor
Overview
The Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship at Western University offers comprehensive exposure to a broad range of paediatric musculoskeletal conditions. The fellowship is designed to provide advanced clinical and surgical experience in the management of:
• Paediatric Limb Reconstruction and Deformity Correction
• Paediatric Orthopaedic Trauma
• Congenital and Developmental Limb Disorders
• Pediatric hip, knee and foot disorders
• Neuromuscular Conditions
• Scoliosis
• Paediatric Sports Medicine
Paediatric Orthopaedics is a member of the Divisions of Paediatric Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery within the Department of Surgery at Western University. Fellowship training takes place primarily at Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), located on the Victoria Hospital Campus. Additional exposure to paediatric orthopaedic care occurs at Thames Valley Children’s Centre, a paediatric rehabilitation facility adjacent to Children's Hospital. Fellows also have opportunities to participate in outreach clinics across Southwestern Ontario, as well as telemedicine clinics.
Fellows are exposed to a wide variety of paediatric orthopaedic conditions with both acute and elective surgical experience. Children's Hospital is the only Level I Trauma Centre in Southwestern Ontario, serving a catchment population of greater than 2.5 million people. This ensures extensive exposure to both single-extremity and multisystem trauma. Emergency consult coverage is provided 24/7 by the resident service, and fracture clinics (average 50 patients/day) are held three times weekly. Approximately 100 trauma admissions are managed annually, supported by a dedicated Paediatric Trauma Program and paediatric trauma nurse practitioner. Operative exposure is extensive, with approximately 300 urgent surgeries performed annually. The paediatric orthopaedic service also has access to Paediatric Priority OR time for urgent overflow cases during the week.
The high-volume elective practice encompasses all aspects of paediatric orthopaedics including sports medicine, neuromuscular disease, hip pathology, scoliosis, limb deformity and paediatric limb reconstruction, including limb lengthening and deformity correction. A weekly clubfoot clinic also provides exposure to the Ponseti Method.
The fellow will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members who maintain general paediatric orthopaedic practices with subspecialty interests in:
• Debra Bartley – Paediatric Sports Medicine• Tim Carey – Paediatric Sports Medicine
• Mohamed Hassanein – Paediatric Limb Reconstruction and Deformity Correction
As the only fellow in the program, the successful applicant will have significant flexibility in tailoring their clinical and academic experience according to their individual interests and career goals.
Objectives of Fellowship
Through a preceptor model, the fellowship aims to provide advanced subspecialty training in all areas of paediatric orthopaedics, including trauma, neuromuscular disease, spinal deformity, musculoskeletal infection, and limb reconstruction.
The fellowship objectives include:
• Gaining clinical exposure to common paediatric orthopaedic conditions
• Gaining operative exposure to the full spectrum of paediatric orthopaedic pathology
• Developing expertise in pre-operative and post-operative management of paediatric orthopaedic patients
• Understanding the unique differences between children and adults with orthopaedic disease and injury
• Appreciating the emotional and psychological impact of injury and illness in children and the role of the family
• Contributing to the education and supervision of residents and medical students
• Participating actively in clinical, educational, and research activities within the division
Evaluation
The fellow will undergo ongoing evaluation by faculty preceptors in the clinical setting, in addition to objective assessment of teaching activities, research productivity, and presentations.
Duties of Fellow
1) Clinical Responsibilities
• Handover Rounds (Weekly)
• Paediatric Orthopaedic Teaching Rounds (Weekly)
• Academic Half Days (approximately 6/year)
• Continuous Quality Improvement Rounds (Quarterly)
• Paediatric Trauma Rounds (Quarterly)
• Elective OR (3 days/week)
• Elective Outpatient Clinics (3 days/week)
• Fracture Clinics (3 days/week)
• Clubfoot Clinic (Weekly)
2) On call duties
The fellow will work collaboratively with orthopaedic residents and faculty members to provide on-call coverage for paediatric orthopaedic trauma, musculoskeletal infections, and emergencies. Residents carry the primary on-call pager; however, fellows are expected to participate actively in clinical decision-making as well as operative and non-operative management.
3) Teaching / Education
Fellows are expected to be intimately involved in the teaching and supervision of residents and medical students. Teaching occurs formally through rounds and Academic Half Days, as well as informally through day-to-day clinical and operative interactions.
4) Research
Fellows are expected to be actively involved in research and quality improvement initiatives within the division and are expected to complete at least one research project during the fellowship year.
Opportunities are available for both clinical and basic science research projects at Western University. Fellows are encouraged to develop independent research initiatives with divisional mentorship and support. Dedicated research support is available through two research assistants.
Research funding is available for appropriate and high-quality research proposals.
Guidelines for Application
Interested applicants are asked to forward a current Curriculum Vitae and three supportive reference letters to the Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship Program.
For further information and to submit an application, please contact:
Dr. Mohamed Hassanein
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
London Health Sciences Centre – Victoria Hospital
800 Commissioners Road East
London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5W9
Tel: 519-685-8021 ext. 6
Fax: 519-685-8038
Email: Mohamed.Hassanein@lhsc.on.ca
