Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship

Visit program website.

Program Leadership:
C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Department Chair
Alan Zhang, MD, Program Director

Program Contact:
William Dunbar, Fellowship Coordinator

Address:
UCSF Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship Program
School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
500 Parnassus Avenue, MU-320 W
San Francisco, CA 94143

Phone:
(415) 502-2579

Program Description

Introduction

The goal of the UCSF Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship is to provide the best possible training for the next generation of sports medicine surgeons, clinicians, and scientists. The training program benefits from world-renowned core faculty who provide both a high volume and high complexity level of shoulder, knee, hip and elbow cases to elicit the highest operative skills from each fellow while providing mentorship to foster growth as clinicians, researchers and educators.

Our fellows receive an unmatched surgical experience in both core sports medicine cases as well as complex surgeries in the knee (revision ACL, multi-ligament recon, meniscus transplant, osteochondral transplant, cartilage implant, osteotomy, patellar stabilization), shoulder (revision rotator cuff repair/recon, open shoulder stabilization/bone transfer, primary/revision shoulder arthroplasty), hip (arthroscopic osteoplasty, labral repair/recon, endoscopic tendon repair), and elbow (arthroscopic/open repair/recon, Tommy John surgery). We are also one of the few programs that integrates a dedicated pediatric sports medicine experience (including pediatric ACL reconstruction).

We have a diverse team coverage experience. Team coverage during fellowship includes coverage of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team, NCAA Division I sports at Cal Berkeley and the University of San Francisco, football at the local collegiate and high-school levels, and Bay Area marathon/race events.

The research experience during your fellowship is designed to improve your research background as well as train you to better understand orthopaedic research. There are many research opportunities for fellows including clinical outcomes, basic science, biomechanics, advanced imaging, and social sciences.

Perhaps the best element of the fellowship is the close relationship that exists between the faculty and trainees. Education of the fellows and residents is the primary focus of our program, and we seek to provide this through a positive collegial relationship. We hope to promote an environment where our fellows continue to communicate with us after graduating and feel comfortable seeking advice as their practices mature.

The fellowship is based at the UCSF Orthopaedic Institute in the new Mission Bay Campus. The Orthopaedic Institute is a state-of-the-art facility with clinic, 6 operating rooms, on site radiology including 3T MRI, physical therapy, orthotics, and the UCSF Human Performance Center. It is within walking distance of subsidized on-campus housing for fellows as well as Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

Educational Program (Basic Curriculum)

Fellows will rotate through 3 two-month rotations (twice each). They will be exposed to high-volume practices in both the clinical and surgical settings. In addition to fundamental sports medicine arthroscopy procedures, fellows will experience complex cases in the knee (revision ACL, multi- ligament recon, meniscus transplant, osteochondral transplant, cartilage implantation, osteotomy, patellar stabilization), shoulder (revision rotator cuff repair/reconstruction, open shoulder stabilization/Latarjet procedure, primary/revision shoulder arthroplasty), hip (arthroscopic femoroplasty, acetabuloplasty, labral repair/reconstruction, endoscopic gluteus/hamstring repair), and elbow (arthroscopy, Tommy-John surgery, reconstruction). We are also one of the few programs that integrates a pediatric sports medicine experience (including pediatric ACL recon).

Types of Rotations and Educational Activities

Team Coverage

Team coverage experience includes opportunities to work with the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team, NCAA Division I sports at Cal Berkeley and the University of San Francisco, professional soccer with the USL Oakland Roots, football at the local collegiate and high-school levels, and Bay Area marathon/race events.

Research

Extensive research opportunities exist in the fellowship that can prepare fellows for careers in academics or help them become highly competitive applicants for private or hospital-system practices. Opportunities exist in clinical and translational science, as well as basic science, imaging, gait and performance, biomechanics, large dataset mining, and standard reviews.

Current funding for UCSF sports medicine research includes NIH/NIAMS funded studies (NIH P50, R01, R03, and PCORI), as well as funding from the Arthritis Foundation, OREF and AOSSM. Fellows are required to prepare one manuscript based upon original research for publication prior to graduation.

Didactic

UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds: Held weekly on Wednesday mornings (September through June) with invited guest speakers discussing orthopaedic topics including sports medicine. Sports Core and Indications Conference: Weekly (Monday: 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM)

Journal Club: Monthly meeting to discuss and review current Sports Medicine literature, with the goal of improving patient care by incorporating evidence into practice.

Cadaver Lab: hip, shoulder and knee cadaver labs are held monthly for fellows throughout the year.

Teaching Staff

C. Benjamin Ma, MD. (Professor, Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)

  • Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Fellowship: Hospital for Special Surgery
  • Clinical Expertise: Shoulder and knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroplasty
  • Team Coverage: San Francisco Giants, University of California, Berkeley

Alan Zhang, MD (Professor, Fellowship Director, Director-Hip Preservation)

  • Residency: UCLA; Fellowship: UCSF
  • Clinical Expertise: Hip arthroscopy, knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy
  • Team Coverage: University of San Francisco

Brian Feeley, MD (Professor, Chief-Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery)

  • Residency: UCLA; Fellowship: Hospital for Special Surgery
  • Clinical Expertise: Shoulder and knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroplasty

Stephanie Wong, MD (Assistant Professor, Associate Fellowship Director)

  • Residency: UCSF; Fellowship: Rush
  • Clinical Expertise: Hip arthroscopy, knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy/arthroplasty

Nirav Pandya, MD (Professor, Chief-Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery)

  • Residency: UPenn; Fellowship: UCSD/Rady Children’s Hospital
  • Clinical Expertise: Pediatric Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy

Drew Lansdown, MD (Associate Professor)

  • Residency: UCSF; Fellowship: Rush
  • Clinical Expertise: Cartilage preservation, meniscus transplantation, patellofemoral pathology, shoulder arthroplasty

Nicholas Colyvas, MD (Professor) 

  • Residency: UCSF; Fellowship: UCSF
  • Clinical Expertise: Knee and shoulder arthroscopy, meniscus preservation

Elly LaRoque, MD (Professor)

  • Residency: Stanford; Fellowship: Stanford/SOAR
  • Clinical Expertise: Knee and shoulder arthroscopy

Sara Edwards MD (Professor)

  • Residency: Northwestern; Fellowship: Columbia Shoulder and Sports Fellowship
  • Clinical Expertise: Shoulder and elbow surgery, shoulder arthroplasty, knee arthroscopy

Ken Akizuki, MD (Head Team Orthopedist- San Francisco Giants)

  • Residency: St. Mary’s Medical Center; Fellowship: Lennox-Hill
  • Clinical Expertise: Elbow surgery/arthroscopy, cartilage preservation, knee and shoulder arthroscopy
  • Team Coverage: San Francisco Giants, University of San Francisco