Rhode Island Hospital is the Level I Trauma Center for Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, including Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Serving a regional population of 1.3 million, we receive about 2500 trauma patients per year, both directly from EMS, and as referrals from the region's other hospitals. We work closely with the General Surgery Trauma Service, with consultation and support from Plastic - Reconstructive Surgery, Neurosurgery, and other specialties as appropriate. There is ample exposure to routine fracture care, as well as, to complex orthopaedic trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction - articular fractures, multiple fractures, osteoporotic fractures, pelvic and acetabular injuries, as well as multiply-injured patients. Experience will also be gained with evaluating and treating non-unions, malunions, post-traumatic infections, and with rehabilitation issues. The Trauma Fellows have access to senior faculty in all subspecialties for consultation and assistance. As their experience broadens, they take on progressively more challenging cases with increasing independence, but with the knowledge and security that available support provides.

The Trauma Fellows maintain a private practice office in which they provide continuing care for the patients they initially treat in the hospital. Faculty and staff assist them in learning the basic principles and practices of running a collaborative orthopaedic surgical practice. By the end of their fellowship, Brown's trauma fellows are comfortable and experienced in leading a surgical team on their own. Their established independent surgical expertise makes our graduates unique among the graduates of North American Orthopaedic training programs. Having learned to manage their own practice, they are familiar with the principles and practices of effective compliance with governmental and contractual requirements, as well as the skills required for successful practice in the medical marketplace.

Case Logs

On average, each trauma fellow will perform around 320 surgical cases (approximately 700 CPT codes) with the majority of those cases performed as the primary surgeon. There is a significant case variety from open long bone fractures to complex peri-articular fractures, acetabular cases, nonunion surgery and infection.

Alumni

Brown's Orthopaedic Trauma Fellows will become expert in the management of patients with significant skeletal injuries, in isolation and in polytrauma situations. They will be able leaders of an orthopaedic trauma team, and in teaching their skills to residents and medical students. The Trauma Fellows will develop their surgical experience and skills to a level of expertise as fully independent surgeons. They will gain sufficient research experience in a trauma-related or other orthopaedic field so that they will be able to contribute to the development of knowledge in their chosen field, and will be attractive candidates for academic orthopaedic faculty appointments.

By the time they become Trauma Fellows, Brown's Orthopaedic Residents will have become significantly involved with appropriate research opportunities within our Department. Clinical research, bench research, or an appropriate combination should be well underway. During the Trauma Fellowship year, this will be brought to a conclusion that is both a significant accomplishment and a starting point for further studies.