Curriculum

Core Conference

Weekly didactic lectures covering comprehensive aspects of Orthopedic Shoulder and Elbow Medicine are integrated into an organized conference schedule by the Orthopedic fellows and staff. Development of lecture preparation and presentation skills is essential to fellows seeking both academic and private practice careers. Topics will be comprehensive for a shoulder and elbow specialist to complement the fellow’s rotations and clinical responsibilities. Lectures will have cases included to apply practical knowledge, controversial and emerging concepts will be discussed openly by attending staff and fellows - the result is a tremendous academic foundation for the Shoulder & Elbow Fellow.

Surgical Techniques Conference

Surgical techniques conference is a massive learning experience for optimizing surgical technique and takes place every Friday morning in the Carroll Conference room. The conference entails a shoulder elbow fellow or service resident to present a recorded surgical procedure step by step. Each step is analyzed by attending staff for effectiveness, efficiency, and “what if” scenarios. Past fellows consider this to be one of the strongest learning experiences of their fellowship for surgical skill development.

Arthroscopy Laboratory

A state-of-the-art arthroscopy laboratory is utilized by fellows to practice surgical technique on cadavers. Four fully-functional stations within the lab make it possible for twelve surgeons to work simultaneously. Fellows can engage in perfect practice for surgical skill development that can be applied directly to actual patient surgery.

The legacy of the Columbia fellowship is second to none. My year there was transformational for my personal and professional growth. The faculty at Columbia provided me with the necessary skills and confidence to manage highly complex shoulder and elbow pathology in and out of the operating room. While exposed to a large abundance of surgical cases to learn from, I was very pleased that all aspects of healthcare were emphasized; patient communication, leadership skills, healthcare cost management are some examples. The fellows are left well prepared to make an impact in their community and for their patients. Dr. Levine took it upon himself to ensure that I was always considered for high quality shoulder and elbow positions. I never had to ask. He served not only as an advocate of mine but as a source of advice and counsel throughout the entire job recruitment process; from introductions to negotiations. I am honored to build on the lessons learned during my fellowship at Columbia and apply them in my new role as head of the shoulder surgery section at Duke.

Oke Anakwenze, MD, MBA
Fellow 2012-2013
Chief, Shoulder Service, Duke University