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(Application link is at bottom of Page)
Rex Marco, M.D.
Vivek P. Kushwaha, M.D.
B. Christoph Meyer, M.D.
Laurence Rhines, M.D.
Darrell Hanson, M.D.
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 H.W. Bush International or William P. Hobby. Bush 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. The
two-time NBA Champion Houston Rockets are the professional men’s basketball team
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 as 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.
Goals and characteristics
The goal of our fellowship is to provide excellent clinical training for neurosurgeons or
orthopaedic surgeons in the evaluation and treatment of the entire spectrum of spinal
disorders. Our fellowship has specific rotations that emphasize cervical and lumbar
degenerative disorders, spinal column trauma, spinal column and spinal cord tumors, pain
management, and adult and pediatric spinal deformity. The fellow will rotate with
neurosurgical and orthopaedic spine surgeons as well as a pain management specialist.
The rotations will be at Memorial Hermann Hospital emphasizing the treatment of
degenerative spinal disorders and spinal trauma; MD Anderson Cancer Center
emphasizing spinal column and spinal cord tumors; The Methodist Hospital emphasizing
spinal deformities and tumors; Shriner's Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital
emphasizing pediatric spinal deformity; and Foundation Surgical Hospital emphasizing
degenerative spinal disorders.
The fellow will develop expertise in the following surgical procedures: microscopic
discectomy, ACDF, TLIF, transthoracic and retroperitoneal corpectomy and
reconstruction, occiput to pelvis spinal instrumentation, kyphoplasty, en bloc
spondylectomy, transpedicular osteotomy and both hook and pedicle screw posterior
spinal instrumentation for spinal deformity correction.
Physicians participating in the program include: Darrell Hanson, MD,
Vivek Kushwaha, MD., Rex Marco, MD, Christoph Meyer, MD, Laurence Rhines, MD
As mentioned, the spine 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 sixty 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 fulfill the requirements of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa sponsored
by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
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. 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,
Rex Marco, M. D.
Fellowship Director
