I'll start with the ones I interviewed at:
San Diego (Garfin): going from 1 to 2 fellows this year. For many years they had one fellow but the addition makes it a more educational experience. Still a solid program, but probably not what it once was. Garfin seems like a very nice guy.
Wash U: Benefits are exposure to complex deformity cases, Riew's C-spine experience, and research. Question is whether it?s best to do really hard stuff and assume that this experience will prepare you for the so-called ?simple? cases. The deformity guys tell you that if you can do deformity, you can do anything. It will certainly familiarize you with the anatomy?but I would think it?s hard to work through a small incision when most of what you see is scoli incisions. Fellows don't get a good experience in bread/butter stuff like microdiscs and PLIFs/TLIFs. Now their staff will tell you that they do posterior interbody fusions for some of their deformity and so fellows learn how to do them but this is not quite the same as doing interbody fusions for single level degenerative problems. Who knows. What is apparent is that this is a great fellowship overall if you want exposure to a wide range of complex deformities and excellent c-spine experience. What I was left wondering was whether I'd be comfortable doing stuff like microdiscs, ALIFs/PLIFs/TLIFs. I think the fellowship would improve if they included more bread and butter cases and more exposure to Brett Taylor than there is at this time. Fellows round.
Pittsburgh: Well-rounded program. Dr. kang and Donaldson are primary staff. Dr. Wald does peds?new Jefferson-trained staff just joined them and will probably be established by 2007, adding to an already great program. Excellent c-spine experience with Kang. Research is not a big aspect of program. Kang does basic science research but as a fellow you'll probably do clinical research. Support staff did not appear to be abundant (read: you may pull your own charts). Benign program with good life-style. Fellows do not round. Residents take the blunt of the crap from floors and ED from what I gathered. Overall fellows are protected. Disadvantage may be lack of exposure to complex deformities. Looking at fellow's cases over 2 months, I saw mostly ACDF, PLIFs/TLIFs, microdiscs, etc. Nothing wrong with that, just may not be what you're looking for as far as more complex cases. Again, this is just me looking at a 2 month block of cases so it may not be representative of the whole year experience.
Beaumont: High-volume place with multiple staff (7) who are energetic and eager to teach. Fellows get exposure to a wide range of spine pathology, from complex deformity to bread/butter. Surgical volume is just tremendous with up to 6 spine rooms running. Fellows pick the cases they're interested in. Very academic and research is a requirement and expectations to produce are high. Lab time is protected. Depending on your goals/outlook, this may be a plus or minus. My impression was that if you're not looking to go into academics and do a ton of research as a fellow/attending, this may not be the right place because Herkowitz expects your a** in the lab and productivity is expected. Fellows round in the morning. For someone looking to go into academics, this program offers it all: great operative experience in all aspects of spine pathology at every level of the spine and research opportunities/facilities/staff for career mentorship.
Jefferson: many consider this to be the best program in the country but of course this depends on what you're looking for. Very little deformity experience from what I gathered. You work with 4 young energetic guys who are very prolific in terms of publishing. Highly academic, great trauma and degenerative training. Vaccaro is setting the pace in many areas, his prolific writing notwithstanding. Fellows do not round. Great program overall and probably the most competitive fellowship to match into in the country. Connections are key here, even more so than at other places.
Can't write anymore...I'll add more later.
