General overview

The Orthopedic Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is home to one of the oldest and most renowned pediatric orthopedic training programs in the country. The fellowship began in 1988 and is nationally recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

The division offers four clinical fellowship positions. This one-year fellowship prepares surgeons for an academic or private career and provides in-depth education, experience and mentoring in pediatric orthopedic surgery, outpatient clinical care, inpatient care and research.

The Orthopedic Center sees 71,000 outpatient visits a year and performs nearly 3,700 surgeries annually. We are proud to be consistently among the top ranked programs in the nation for pediatric orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report, earning the No. 1 spot on the 2023-24 Honor Roll of Best Children's Hospitals.

Why CHOP is the place to train

CHOP’s Orthopedic Center is home to one of the oldest and most renowned pediatric orthopedic training programs in the country.

Program at a glance

• 

  Four clinical fellowship positions

• POSNA and ACGME accredited
• 15 core surgical faculty
• More than 71,000 outpatient visits/year
• Approximately 3,700 surgeries/year
• Case volume per fellow: 400-450 cases/year, typically >1,000 CPT codes
• Flexible, individually-directed surgical experience throughout the year
• Individualized outpatient rotation schedule through all major areas of pediatric orthopedic surgery
• Comprehensive didactic conference schedule
• One in 4 call (home call, for operative trauma cases only)

Watch the video below for firsthand accounts from our past fellows on what made their fellowship such a memorable experience.

Educational philosophy

The Orthopedic Center considers it a privilege to train outstanding fellows and welcome them to our field and our CHOP family.

Excellence in surgical training is the keystone of our fellowship, with an emphasis on high volume, progressive independence and graduated responsibility. Likewise, fellows are expected to play an expanding role in surgical planning, similar to a colleague, as their skills and knowledge develop. 

Because each fellow is an individual with unique career aspirations and potential subspecialty interests, we provide a solid foundation in all aspects of pediatric orthopedics, but also allow fellows to choose surgical cases and design their year in a manner that best fits their personal goals. On the outpatient side, fellows rotate through all major areas of pediatric orthopedics (e.g. spine, sports, hip, etc.) in order to provide proper grounding in the fundamentals of outpatient clinical care and to learn diagnostic and decision-making skills necessary for independent practice.

At this point in their training, we consider fellows to be mature learners capable of self-motivated reading with the goal of continuous self-improvement. A comprehensive didactic program exists, but this does not substitute for independent reading and frequent consultation with the literature. Our faculty is supportive and approachable, and aims to provide context, fill gaps in understanding, and augment a fellow’s individual study.

To allow fellows to concentrate on the primary goal of obtaining outstanding surgical and clinical education, additional demands are kept to a minimum. A team of advanced practice nurses handles the bulk of day-to-day inpatient care, and an additional team of mid-level providers is in place to manage the heavy volume of outpatient clinic visits.  Orthopedic residents take primary call for the emergency department and inpatient consultations. Fellows are expected to play a supportive role in all these settings, but these are not their primary responsibilities.

Each fellowship year is unique, and we encourage feedback so the educational opportunities can be tailored to each class and improved as the year progresses.

Curriculum and experience

Daily didactic programs: 6:30 a.m.

• Monday, Tuesday and Friday: Core curriculum lectures (e.g. scoliosis, DDH, etc.) for residents and fellows, on a 3-month rotating cycle 
• Wednesday: Fellow-centered indications conference where upcoming cases are presented and discussed with a large number of the surgical faculty
• Thursday: Fellows-only conference with select faculty members on advanced topics both clinical and professional. Schedule is organized by each fellowship class themselves based on personal interests. Typical topics include advanced case conferences, tips on building an academic career, negotiating a contract etc. Fellows are also invited to general orthopedic grand rounds at the University of Pennsylvania
• Quarterly: Journal clubs focus on interpreting and analyzing the current literature in pediatric orthopedics

Additional conference opportunities

• Center for Thoracic Insufficiency (CTIS) patient review conference (monthly)
• Interdisciplinary conference on neuromuscular disorders (quarterly)
• Orthopedic oncology tumor board (quarterly)
• CHOP-based bone interest group (monthly)

Operating room

Operating rooms begin at 7:30 a.m., with the exception of Thursday (8:30). Fellows choose operative cases the week prior and oversee resident surgical assignments. Given the surgical volume, fellows typically operate three to four days a week, and average 400 to 450 cases per year (>1,000 CPT codes).  

Clinic

A minimum of one day a week is spent in the orthopedic clinic on an individually directed schedule that covers all major clinical areas of pediatric orthopedics. Flexibility exists for fellows to revisit desired areas in the second half of the year. As a new addition to the program, starting part-way through the year, fellows will run an independent clinic seeing general orthopedic patients in order to develop autonomy and decision-making in the outpatient setting.

Call

Home call is 1 in 4 and is generally for operative trauma cases only. Orthopedic residents take primary call for the orthopedic inpatient service, and emergency department/inpatient consultations.

A typical week for a clinical orthopedic fellow at CHOP

Monday

6:30 a.m. - Didactic Conference
7:30 a.m. - OR
Informal rounds between commitments on previously operated patients

Tuesday

6:30 a.m. - Didactic Conference
7:30 a.m. - OR
Informal rounds between commitments on previously operated patients

Wednesday

6:30 a.m. - Indications Conference
7:30 a.m. - Clinic
Informal rounds between commitments on previously operated patients

Thursday

6:30 a.m. - Fellow Conference
8:30 a.m. - Fellow Clinic
Informal rounds between commitments on previously operated patients

Friday

6:30 a.m. - Didactic Conference
7:30 a.m. - OR
Informal rounds between commitments on previously operated patients

Saturday

Operative cases (call fellow)
Otherwise, off

Sunday

Operative cases (call fellow)
Otherwise, off

Fellowship core faculty

John (Jack) M. Flynn, MD
Division Chief
Co-director, Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship
Primary areas of fellow education: spine, early-onset spine disorders, thoracic insufficiency syndrome, orthopedic trauma

Wudbhav (Woody) N. Sankar, MD   
Co-director, Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship
Primary areas of fellow education: hip, young adult hip preservation, spine, orthopedic trauma

Jason Anari, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: spine, early-onset spine disorders, thoracic insufficiency syndrome, and orthopedic trauma

Alexandre Arkader, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: musculoskeletal oncology, limb deformity, orthopedic trauma

Keith D. Baldwin, MD, MPH, MSPT
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: neuromuscular disorders, neuromuscular spine, orthopedic trauma

Patrick Cahill, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: spine, early-onset spine disorders, thoracic insufficiency syndrome

Robert B. Carrigan, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: hand and upper extremity

Richard S. Davidson, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: foot and ankle, limb deformity

Theodore J. Ganley, MD
Director, Center for Sports Medicine and Performance
Primary areas of fellow education: sports medicine, arthroscopy, orthopedic trauma

Christine M. Goodbody, MD, MBE
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: neuromuscular disorders, gait analysis, lower extremity deformity, and orthopedic trauma

B. David Horn, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: foot and ankle, limb deformity, hip, orthopedic trauma

J. Todd Lawrence, MD, PhD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: sports medicine, arthroscopy, orthopedic trauma

Kathleen Maguire, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: sports medicine, hip arthroscopy, orthopedic trauma

Apurva Shah, MD, MBA
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: hand and upper extremity, brachial plexus

David Spiegel, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: neuromuscular disorders, neuromuscular spine, orthopedic infections, orthopedic trauma

Brendan Williams, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: sports medicine, arthroscopy, orthopedic trauma

Joseph L. Yellin, MD
Attending Surgeon
Primary areas of fellow education: sports medicine, arthroscopy, orthopedic trauma

Research expectations and opportunities

Gaining skills in research methodology and critical evaluation of the medical literature is an important goal of the fellowship. Each fellow is expected to complete at least one scholarly project during the fellowship. In most cases, this is a research project of the fellow’s design, conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor which culminates in a formal presentation at the end-of year graduation, and, in most cases, submission for peer-reviewed publication.

Many fellows complete multiple projects resulting in multiple publications. To support these aims, the division employs four full-time research coordinators to assist with study design, IRB approvals, etc. Additional resources are available for statistical analysis and potential funding. 

Benefits

The current salary for each fellow is $82,290 plus standard benefits. In addition, each fellow is provided a $3,000 fund to support travel to academic meetings and books/educational materials. Fellows always attend the International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium (IPOS) each year and typically attend the POSNA annual meeting. In addition to this, any research presented by a fellow at an academic meeting is supported by the division.  

Past fellows and their current positions

• 2022-2023: Grace Blaylock, MD, Carillion Clinic, Roanoke VA; Bridget Ellsworth, Medical College of Wisconsin
• 2021-2022: Brett Lullo, MD, Lurie Children's Hospital; Alex Gornitzky, University of Michigan; Raghav Badrinath, Albert Einstein Montefiore; Joe Yellin, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• 2020-2021: Stephanie Logterman, MD, Arnold Palmer Hospital Orlando FL; Jessica Heyer, MD, Hospital for Special Surgery; Stuart Mitchell, MD, Univeristy of North Carolina; Chrissy Goodbody, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• 2019-2020: Brian Piazza, MD, Billings Clinic, Montana; Matthew Landrum, MD, University of Texas Health Center, San Antonio; Alexa Karkenny, MD, Montefiore Medical Center
• 2018-2019: Michael Hughes, MD, Wake Forest University; Christopher Makarewich, MD, Primary Children’s Hospital; Ishaan Swarup, MD, University of California San Francisco; Brendan Williams, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• 2017-2018: Jason Anari, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Neeraj Patel, MD, MPH, Lurie Children's Hospital; Arianna Trionfo, MD, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children; Amir Misaghi, MD, Mayo Clinic Tumor Fellowship
• 2016-2017: Todd Blumberg, MD, Seattle Children's Hospital; Daniel Miller, MD, Gillette Children's Hospital; Susan Nelson, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center; Andrew Gambone, MD, Bayhealth Medical Center.
• 2015-16: Evan Curatolo, MD, Monmouth medical center; Lloydine Jacobs, MD, Arkansas Methodist Medical Center; Sarah Nossov, MD, Shriners Hospital for Children Philadelphia; Sheena Ranade, MD, Mount Sinai
• 2014-15:  Aristides I. Cruz, MD, Brown University; Peter Fabricant, MD, MPH, Hospital for Special Surgery; Andrew Georgiadis, MD, Gillette Children's Hospital; Mark Seeley, MD, Geisinger Medical Center
• 2013-14: Rushyuan "Jay" Lee, MD, Johns Hopkins; R. Justin Mistovich, MD, Case Western Reserve University; Patrick O'Toole, MD, Crumlin Children's Hospital; Anish Potty, MD, Laredo Sports Medicine Clinic
• 2012-13: Laura Gill, MBBS, Nationwide Children's Hospital; Martin Morrison, MD, Loma Linda University Children's Hospital; Nanjundappa Harshavardhana, MD, Twin Cities Spine Center
• 2011-12: Corinna Franklin, MD, Shriners Hospital for Children; Keith Baldwin, MD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Odion Binitie, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center
• 2010-11: Peter Glavas, MD, CHU Ste-Justine; Scott McKay, MD, Texas Children's Hospital; Ryan Murdock, MD, Central Texas Pediatric Orthopedic & Scoliosis
• 2009-10: Colin Goggins, MD, Banner Children's Specialists; Christopher Hydorn, MD, Moore Orthopedic Clinic; Melinda Sharkey, MD, Yale Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
• 2008-09: Jason Robinson, MD, Intermountain Orthopaedics; Jenny Frances, MD, MPH, Hospital for Joint Diseases
• 2007-08: Purushottam Gholve, MD, Tufts Medical Center; Michelle Sagan, MD, Outpatient Center in Arlington Heights, IL
• 2006-07: Samara Friedman, MD, Advocare The Orthopedic Center; Alex Arkader, MD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• 2005-06: Eric Shirley, MD, Nemours Children's Specialty Care; Joshua Strassberg, MD, Advocare The Orthopedic Center
• 2004-05: Jorge Fabregas, MD, Scottish Rite Hospital
• 2003-04: Harish Hosalkar, MD, The Hosalkar Institute for Joint Preservation and Injury Care; Michelle Sugiyama-Caird, MD, University of Michigan
• 2002-03: Benjamin Roye, MD, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
• 2001-02: Junichi Tamai, MD, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
• 2000-01: Kristan Pierz, MD, Connecticut Children's Medical Center
• 1999-2000: Lael Luedtke, MD, Mayo Clinic Health System
• 1998-99: David Wallach, MD, Stony Brook Orthopedic Associates
• 1997-98: David Spiegel, MD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• 1996-97: Theodore Ganley, MD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• 1995-96: Inez Kelleher, MD, Memorial Hospital Gulfport Orthopedics
• 1994-95: Miah Hahn, MD, Hahn Orthopaedics
• 1993-94: Mark Sinclair, MD, Children's Mercy Hospital
• 1992-93: Wesley Carrion, MD, Stony Brook Orthopaedic Associates
• 1991-92: William Bronson, MD, Shriners Hospital for Children
• 1990-91: Gary Brock, MD, Fondren Orthopedic Group
• 1989-90: Lee Segal, MD, SUNY Upstate University
• 1988-89: Michael Albert, MD, Dayton Children's Hospital
• 1987-88: Margaret Alabanese, MD, Adirondack Community Physicians ACP Orthopedic Group

Living in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a vibrant city offering a wealth of history, culture and recreation. Learn more about life in Philadelphia.

Beyond fellowship

As part of the CHOP orthopedic family, graduating fellows will benefit from continued mentorship and career advice as they progress through their first years of practice. Networking opportunities with faculty and previous fellows may be helpful with job searches. Fellow reunions include the annual Nicholson Visiting Professorship/fellowship graduation held in June, and the annual meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA).  

How to apply

CHOP participates and abides by the fellowship match, supervised by the San Francisco Matching Program (SFMP). To participate in the pediatric orthopedic surgery match, register with SFMP.

The match process includes a universal online application (through the SFMP), interview and match selection process, and occurs between September and April of each year.

Potential candidates must be in at least their PGY4 year of orthopedic training.  Interviews are granted by invitation, and are generally conducted onsite at CHOP. Match day is typically in April of the application year, with rank lists due a few weeks before.

Other requirements

To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) on site at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees performing work for CHOP at non-CHOP locations. Additionally, all workforce members based in or regularly scheduled to work at any New Jersey location are mandated to be both vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, with booster timing consistent with applicable guidelines. The CHOP COVID-19 vaccine mandate is in alignment with applicable local, state and federal mandates. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Employees may request exemption consideration for CHOP vaccine requirements for valid religious and medical reasons. Please note start dates may be delayed until candidates are fully immunized or valid exemption requests are reviewed. In addition, candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

Contact us

Clinical Fellowship Coordinator, Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship
Email Joanne Hofmann, or call 215-590-1535.

Co-director, Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship
Email Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD, or call 215-590-1527.