The Plastic and Orthopedic Surgery Services at the University of Pittsburgh and the Hand & Shoulder Center have further enhanced the collaboration and cross-fertilization of their respective Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Programs. This format offers an unparalleled experience in both skeletal and soft tissue aspects of adult and pediatric hand surgery, including microsurgery, conducted in both an academic setting and a private surgery center environment.
Trainees in both fellowship programs will attend joint conferences, didactic lectures, and Journal Clubs together. Rotation through both Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery will result in a diverse experience in all aspects of hand and upper extremity conditions. Between the two fellowships, there are a total of seven positions for candidates completing their residency training in Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and/or General Surgery. Matched candidates will have the opportunity to be trained by 14 hand fellowship trained faculty members, perform surgical procedures in a state-of-the-art freestanding surgery center, as well as complex upper extremity reconstruction and microsurgical procedures at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Over the 12-month fellowship-training period, experience and responsibility are gradually increased and by the end of the program each fellow is comfortable and competent in all areas of hand surgery (including pediatric and adult brachial plexus) and microsurgical techniques.
Learn about the application process
Prerequisite resident education must be completed in a general surgery, orthopedic surgery, or plastic surgery program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
The University of Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery Hand Program is a one-year, ACGME accredited hand surgery fellowship program. We match one fellow per year into the Plastic Surgery position.
All fellows (Plastic and Orthopedic Hand Surgery) will take part in a weekly multidisciplinary Hand Conference on Wednesday mornings. In addition, a Bioskills lab (with cadavers) is held weekly where fellows practice technical surgical skills that are essential to the performance of hand and upper extremity surgery. There are also multiple visiting professors who give lectures and perform dissections in the Bioskills lab.
The two fellowships are nearly identical with all the fellows experiencing the year as a cohort. The only difference in the clinical rotation schedule is that the Plastic Surgery fellow spends time at the Hand to Shoulder Center instead of additional time doing shoulder surgery with UPMC faculty. An applicant trained in Orthopedic Surgery can match into the Plastic Surgery position and vice versa.
While at least one clinical research project leading to presentation and publication is expected during the fellowship year, significant basic and applied basic science research opportunities are available. For those interested, research experience can be obtained in our internationally known Research Laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh. There are opportunities to present at both the Department of Plastic Surgery
Research Day and the Joseph Imbriglia Hand Research Day.
Pitt Plastic Surgery:
Pitt Orthopedic Surgery:
Hand and Shoulder Center:
