​Hand Fellowship Program at UPMC Hamot

Welcome to the UPMC Hamot Hand Fellowship!

UPMC Hamot ACGME-accredited Hand Fellowship Program is one year in length.

Program Aims: The Hand Fellowship program aims to train fellows in a comprehensive learning environment including exposure to patients with multiple acquired, traumatic and post-traumatic conditions, of the hand and upper extremity. Program graduates will receive an educational background that allows the fellow to pursue careers in academic medicine, private practice or a large multi-disciplinary group. The Hand Fellowship program instills in the clinicians, the value of lifelong learning, along with a continued commitment to patient care and community service.

Mission Statement: The mission of the UPMC Hamot Hand Fellowship program is to provide excellence in education for the care and surgery of community patients. Through clinical and technology practice, education and research this ACGME accredited program will develop professional clinicians who demonstrate patient empathy, innovative reasoning skills and hand surgery expertise.

The program accepts two fellows per year and offers special training in management of acute hand trauma, congenital deformities, and reconstructive hand problems — and all aspects of microsurgery — including:

• Upper extremity reconstructive surgery
• Replantation
• Free-tissue transfers
• Microneuropathy

The Hand Fellowship applies a comprehensive approach to and overview of upper extremity disorders including hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder surgery. UPMC Hamot's hand fellows work directly with the orthopaedic hand surgeons and are involved in the non-operative, pre-operative, and post-operative management of outpatients and inpatients.

Fellows participate in performing surgery on patients evaluated in clinics and the emergency room setting and also participate once a week in a hand conference and once a month in journal club.

Scholarly activity is an important part of the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program which is an ACGME accreditation requirement. Learn more about scholarly activity opportunities for orthopaedic surgery residents. 

Local Rotation Sites:

• Hand, Microsurgery and Reconstructive Orthopaedics, LLP
• Shriners Hospitals for Children®—Erie
  • Orthopaedic residents at UPMC Hamot rotate, at the Shriners Hospitals for Children®—Erie, for six months of pediatric orthopaedics.

Thank you for considering UPMC Hamot for your fellowship. If any of your questions are not answered by this website, please contact Michalle Schodt, GME Senior Department Manager, at 814-877-6253 or schodtm@upmc.edu.