Mark A. Frankle, MD, Fellowship Co-Director
Mark A. Mighell, MD, Fellowship Co-Director
Additional Faculty:
Kevin J. Cronin, MD
Christopher E. Baker, MD
Kaitlyn N. Christmas, BS, CCRC, Fellowship Coordinator
E-mail: kchristmas@foreonline.org
Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Foundation for Orthopaedic Research and Education (FORE)
Advent Health Hospital Carrollwood
Advent Health Hospital Wesley Chapel
Brandon Regional Hospital
Tampa General Hospital—Level 1 Trauma Center
Duration: 1 academic year (August 1 through July 31)
Rotation: 3 month rotations between two Attending physicians over a 12-month period with cyclical external rotations for additional surgical opportunities among faculty
Number of Fellows: 3 fellows per year
Application Deadline: November 15
Fellowship Description:
This fellowship is a one-year hands-on surgical experience of all things shoulder and elbow at a high-volume tertiary referral center. The fellowship is led by Drs. Mark Frankle and Mark Mighell, who are partners in Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI), the largest and highest volume private orthopaedic practice in Florida. To bolster both surgical volume and enrich the fellow experience, fellows will also rotate with other shoulder faculty with diverse patient populations, surgical techniques, and implant systems. Boasting a robust slate of attendings across a variety of orthopaedic subspecialties at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, additional operative experience is available and encouraged from our other partners and can be tailored to the fellows’ needs for their own practice. The exposure is maximal in areas of reconstructive shoulder and elbow problems such as glenohumeral arthritis, fractures, neuromuscular diseases, and other complex shoulder and elbow diseases. Training includes comprehensive and extensive exposure to both open and arthroscopic surgical techniques with emphasis on complex problem solving. Fellows actively participate in clinical evaluation, conservative management, preoperative consultations and planning, surgical procedures, and postoperative management. Fellows typically average between 250 and 300 cases each.
The fellowship program is a joint effort between the Florida Orthopaedic Institute and the Foundation for Orthopaedic Research and Education (FORE). The integration of clinical practice and research is a natural fit, as the critical thinking required to do research is also an essential skill to hone for all surgeons. Therefore, the Shoulder/Elbow Fellowship at FOI/FORE is academically focused, and research driven. Fellows are required to contribute (as an author) to at least three research projects. One of these projects must be a publishable, original clinical research project for which they are the first author. While not necessarily required, fellows are strongly encouraged to contribute to at least one biomechanical research project. There is a fully staffed biomechanics lab that does research in shoulder and elbow projects which is available to all fellows. FORE staff manage the projects and provide oversight and guidance from idea inception through submission and support staff to ensure all fellows produce at least one publication during their fellowship year. Many fellows have completed award-winning research, including the prestigious Charles S. Neer Clinical Science Award, the top award for research in shoulder surgery.
The high-quality work our fellows produce results in presentation opportunities at a multitude of national conferences. With weekly all-hands research meetings, consistent and meaningful progress is made throughout the year. Additionally, the lecture schedule includes weekly educational content, indications conferences held biweekly, MRI conferences held weekly, weekly fellow-specific seminars covering case presentations and practice management guidance. There is also a monthly journal club. This program has trained more than 70 surgeons over the past 26 years, who cover the vast spectrum of practice in Shoulder and Elbow from military to academic to private practice. Several have gone on to become leaders in our subspecialty and have started fellowship programs of their own.
Dr. Frankle is a past President of ASES and Dr. Mighell is an Inactive Reserve Commander in the United States Navy, so mentorship with a focus on leadership development is a key component of this program. Additionally, both Drs. Frankle and Mighell place an emphasis on innovation, wherein Dr. Frankle is the man responsible for bringing the reverse shoulder arthroplasty to the US and a holder of several patents and Dr. Mighell has extensive experience in implant design and is working on the future of robotics in shoulder surgery. Drs. Cronin and Baker are good representation of young leadership within ASES, both spearheading Tampa participation in ASES Shoulder & Elbow Week. Dr. Cronin was the inaugural recipient of the Mark Frankle, MD Health Care Policy Award through which he gained experience in political advocacy work.
Qualified applicants must have completed a certified residency program in orthopaedics at the time the fellowship is started and should have a strong commitment to academic orthopaedics. The fellowship remuneration is through Florida Orthopaedic Institute and includes full employee salary and benefits. As such, a Florida medical license is required. The Fellow will be required to take general orthopaedic call at a community hospital approximately 3 – 4 days per month. Should the fellow desire, additional call and remuneration may be available.
This fellowship is ASES-recognized and participates in the San Francisco Match. Interviews are required, and typically include dinner on Sunday night and a visit to the OR with Drs. Frankle and Mighell on Monday, although we will also offer a virtual option for those residents who are unable to travel.
