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(Application link is at bottom of page)
Gary M. Gartsman, M.D.
James B. Bennett, M. D.
T. Bradley Edwards, M.D.
Hussein Elkousy, M.D.
fellowship. It is operated under the auspices of a non-profit organization
called The Foundation for Orthopaedic, Athletic and Reconstructive
Research. The fellowship begins on August 1 and ends on July 31 of the
following year.
If you have never been to Houston, let us begin by describing a little
about the city. It is the fourth largest city in the United States and as
such, has many social and cultural activities. The Museum District is
conveniently located near the Texas Medical Center and offers fine and
contemporary arts, sculpture and natural science exhibits. The area
includes the city's major museums as well as art galleries, theaters, three
universities, and a large public park. Hermann Park contains the world
famous Houston Zoo and an eighteen hole golf course.
Visitors to Houston who arrive by air may choose from one of the city's
two commercial airports, George W. Bush International or William P.
Hobby. GWB International is the larger of the two and is approximately
thirty to forty-five minutes from the Medical Center while Hobby is about
twenty to thirty minutes away. The Houston airport system is the
thirteenth largest in the world and tenth largest in the United States. The
airports provide service to over one hundred U.S. cities and twenty-eight
cities abroad. Rental cars, limousines and taxicabs are easily accessible.
The temperature in Houston is considered temperate with winters being
mild averaging only three to four weeks of chilly weather between
December and February. Spring and autumn temperatures range from
sixty to eighty degrees and the summer climate is hot. Fortunately,
everything in Houston is air-conditioned! Rain is frequent and often
unpredictable so an umbrella is handy.
Houston is proud of both its professional and intercollegiate athletic
programs. Minute Maid Park is the home for the Houston Astros in the
National Baseball League (Dr. Mehlhoff is a Team Physician). The two-
time NBA Champion Houston Rockets are the professional men’s
basketball team (Dr. Elkousy is the Team Physician) and the Houston
Comets are the professional women’s basketball team and the four time
WNBA Champions. Both teams play at the Toyota Center that is
conveniently located in downtown Houston. The Houston Aeros are the
professional hockey team and the Hotshots are the professional soccer
team. The Houston Texans are the new NFL football team that play in
another new stadium in Reliant Park. Rice University, Texas Southern
University, and the University of Houston offer a full range of NCAA
Division I athletics and showcase many world class athletes in both men's
and women's sports.
Recreational opportunities abound with golf, tennis, cycling, and
horseback riding available year-round. The Gulf of Mexico and
Galveston are forty-five minutes south of the Medical Center. Numerous
beaches and excellent fishing make this a popular tourist resort. Fresh
water lakes for skiing and fishing are a short drive away.
The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is now recognized the world's largest
medical complexes. The University of Texas and Baylor College of
Medicine both provide medical schools and large research facilities within
the TMC. There are fourteen hospitals in the TMC: eight offering full
service and six providing specialized care. M. D. Anderson Hospital is
world-renowned for its advancements in the treatment of cancer. The
Methodist Hospital and the Texas Heart Institute house the cardiovascular
teams of Drs’ DeBakey and Cooley respectively. The Shriners Hospital
for Children, University Children's Hospital at Hermann and Texas
Children's Hospital are outstanding pediatric facilities. Memorial Hermann
Hospital operates one of the first Life Flight programs in the nation and
serves as the primary teaching facility for the University of Texas –
Houston Medical School. Space does not permit a more detailed picture
of the TMC, but hopefully the opportunity it offers for medical education is
already evident.
As mentioned, the shoulder and elbow fellowship is a part of the
Foundation for Orthopaedic, Athletic and Reconstructive Research which
is a non-profit corporation designed to fund educational and research
opportunities in the field of orthopaedics. Because of the large number of
educational opportunities available, there is some flexibility. This allows
the individual fellow to create an experience best suited to their future
practice. It also means that the fellowship is dynamic and subject to
change when it is felt that the change will add to the training program.
The Foundation provides a salary of fifty two thousand dollars a year as
well as malpractice insurance, in addition to health and dental insurance
for the fellow. Housing is not provided, but is available nearby. In
addition to the daily clinic and surgical work, the fellow is responsible for
occasional lectures. The curriculum requires the completion of one
research paper, which must be presented to the staff and submitted to a
peer-reviewed journal within one year of the completion of the fellowship.
A Texas medical license is required prior to beginning the fellowship as
well as a Drug Enforcement Agency number and a Texas Narcotics
Commission number. Assistance will be provided to obtain these. In
order to obtain a Texas medical license you must have passed one of the
following licensing exams: FLEX, SPEX, NBME, NBOME, USMLE,
COMLEX, LMCC or a state board examination. For more information
about Texas medical licensure please consult the Texas State Board of
Medical Examiners web site at www.tsbme.state.tx.us. All graduates of
foreign medical schools should visit this web site and pay particular
attention to Chapter 163, especially 163.3. Foreign students must also
be able to obtain a free trade visa in order to participate in our program.
Enclosed you will find an application form. Please complete this and
return it along with a recent photograph, a copy of medical school
transcripts and your curriculum vitae. Three letters of recommendation
must also be sent including one from your residency program director.
Please have the letters faxed to (713) 790-0505 before the hard copy is
put in the mail. Once your application is complete, the fellowship
coordinator, Michele Byrne, will contact you, if an interview is required. If
you have any questions, please contact her at (713) 799-2429.
Email- Michele@foarr.com Thank you once again for your interest.
Best Regards,
Gary M. Gartsman, M. D.
Fellowship Director
