Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship

The Houston Methodist Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship is a one-year, ACGME-accredited program that prepares fellows for careers as sports medicine surgeons, team physicians, academic leaders and innovators in the field. Fellows receive high-volume, hands-on clinical and operative training across the full spectrum of sports medicine, including complex knee, shoulder, elbow and hip surgery, joint preservation, cartilage restoration, and primary and revision procedures.

OFFICIAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

A defining strength of the fellowship is the opportunity to care for athletes at every level of competition. Houston Methodist serves as the official health care provider for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros and Rice University Athletics. Fellows participate in sideline and training-room coverage, spring training, athlete evaluations, and other aspects of team physician care while learning to work collaboratively with athletic trainers, coaches, performance staff and other members of the sports medicine team.

Fellows also gain broad community sports medicine experience through one of the nation's largest athletic training outreach programs, with affiliations spanning more than 98 area schools. Additional unique opportunities include caring for performing artists through the Center for Performing Arts Medicine and caring for the NASA Astronaut Corps at Johnson Space Center, as well as athletes at the Houston Rodeo.

The combination of surgical volume, breadth of pathology, elite athlete exposure, structured education, research support and close faculty mentorship provides fellows with a comprehensive experience designed to prepare them for independent sports medicine practice.

Fellowship at a Glance

Houston Methodist Sports Medicine Fellows are designated Houston Texans Scholars through support of the Houston Texans Foundation. The fellowship offers:

• 1-year ACGME-accredited fellowship\
• 3 fellows per year
• High-volume operative experience in knee, shoulder, elbow and hip
• Professional, collegiate, scholastic, performing arts and NASA coverage
• Extensive research opportunities
• Bioskills laboratory approximately every 6 weeks
• Dedicated sports medicine research infrastructure
• Multiple hospital and ambulatory surgery settings
• Exposure to complex primary and revision surgery
• Progressive autonomy throughout the fellowship year

Team Physician Experience

Fellows participate in training-room evaluations, sideline coverage, spring training, pre-participation examinations, athlete injury evaluation, pre-draft evaluations and longitudinal return-to-play decision-making.

• Professional: Houston Astros, Houston Texans
• Collegiate: Rice University
• Performing Arts: Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera
• Community/Scholastic: 98+ affiliated schools
• Unique experience: NASA Astronaut Corps, Houston Rodeo

Living in Houston

Houston offers fellows the advantages of a major metropolitan city with a vibrant sports culture, nationally recognized dining, arts and cultural institutions, and a wide range of neighborhoods and communities. Outside of work, fellows have year-round access to professional sporting events, parks, concerts, museums and other activities, with convenient travel through two major airports.

As home to a major health care and sports medicine community, Houston provides a unique environment in which to train while caring for a diverse patient population throughout the Greater Houston area.

Thank you for your interest in our Sports Medicine Fellowship program. Our program participates in the AANA/AOSSM Sports Medicine Match administered by the San Francisco Match (SFMatch) for the application, interview and selection process:

Criteria

To be eligible for a fellowship position, certain criteria must be met:

• Completed a residency training in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited Orthopedic Surgery residency program
• Good professional character with at least three letters of recommendation attesting to your academic and personal qualifications
• A graduate of a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), or a college of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the AOA, or a medical school outside the U.S. and Canada with a current valid certificate from ECFMG prior to appointment, or have completed a Fifth Pathway program through an LCME-accredited medical school
• Licensable in the State of Texas and obtain before beginning training a physician-in-training (PIT) permit or a valid Texas medical license
• Permanent resident status or be eligible for a J-1 visa, if a non-U.S. citizen
• We will not be accepting applications of Foreign Medical Graduates, unless they have met the above criteria (www.acgme.org).

Employment Requirements

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees and the communities around us. As a healthcare provider, it is our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

• Drug and Tobacco Screening: Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
• Background Check: Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

Application Materials

To begin the application process, you must submit the necessary materials through San Francisco Match: 

• Complete MATCH application
• Personal statement
• Wallet-sized color photograph
• USMLE transcript
• ECFMG status report (International Medical Graduates (IMGs) only)
• Three letters of recommendation (including letter from program director of current training program)

Fellow Experience

The Houston Methodist Sports Medicine Fellowship is designed to provide an immersive training experience with progressive responsibility throughout the year. Fellows work closely with faculty in the operating room, clinic, training room, research setting and on the sidelines, developing the clinical judgment, technical skills and confidence required for independent practice.

As fellows progress through the program, they are given increasing autonomy in patient evaluation, surgical decision-making, operative care and team physician responsibilities, while maintaining close access to faculty guidance. Fellows also participate in resident education, research, national educational opportunities and the broader academic activities of the sports medicine program.

The goal is to graduate surgeons who are prepared not only to manage complex sports medicine pathology, but also to serve as thoughtful team physicians, educators, collaborators and leaders in the field.

Mentorship

With three fellows per year, the program is structured around close, individualized faculty mentorship. In addition to surgical and clinical development, faculty provide guidance on research, career planning, practice development, team physician responsibilities and the transition to independent practice. Mentorship is intended to extend beyond the fellowship year and support each fellow's long-term growth as a sports medicine surgeon.