Orthopedic Fellowship
The Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta provides exceptional training in the identification, management, and surgical and nonsurgical treatment of pediatric orthopedic disorders. The Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowship Program was established at Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children in 1975 by Dr. Wood Lovell. Since 1986, we have had two fellows per year.
We are committed to training future pediatric orthopedists that excel in their field and have 15 surgeons who expose fellows to a diversity of cases and techniques. Our program has been accredited by the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA). Two track options are available.
General Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship:
Our General Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship position offers a broad exposure to all facets of pediatric orthopaedics. Fellows participate in the entire gamut of educational opportunities including didactic conferences, outpatient multi-specialty clinics, trauma call, inpatient care, teaching, research, and quality management. Furthermore, fellows have the opportunity to participate in cases from all sub-specialty areas of pediatric orthopaedics in one of the highest volume centers in the country. In 2024, we performed over 6000 surgical procedures and had over 120,000 outpatient visits.
General Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship with an Emphasis in Pediatric Spine:
Children’s has one of the largest annual spine volumes in the country with approximately 433 spine cases in 2024. Seven surgeons dedicate a significant portion of their clinic work to spinal deformity and offer the fellows experience with pedicle screw placement using a variety of techniques including a variety of navigation platforms and free hand techniques. In addition, Children’s has long been at the forefront of robotically assisted spine surgery. Fellows will obtain experience caring for a high volume of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis from routine to severe, complex congenital and neuromuscular deformity, and a wide array of conditions associated with early onset scoliosis. In addition, fellows will gain experience with discectomies, anterior lumbar interbody fusions, vertebral body tethering, and the management of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis.
Our surgeons are involved in a variety of national spine study groups including the HARMS study group, Pediatric Spine Study Group, and the SPARTAN emerging technologies study group. Our center has been known for various advancements in the field including being the first to describe the now-ubiquitous enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) used internationally after spinal fusion, the utilization of steroids in the perioperative periods, and standardization of a reproducible method of measuring blood loss after spine surgery.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University: A historic partnership of pediatric excellence
In 1956, the Board of Trustees for both Emory University and Egleston Hospital signed an agreement to make Egleston a first-rate teaching hospital
Children’s is one of the largest freestanding healthcare systems in the country. Emory is one of the nation’s leading research universities. Together, the two share a passion for pediatric innovation and advancements. In 1956, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston Hospital and Emory University first established a pediatric teaching relationship. This relationship has developed to facilitate leading-edge pediatric research, training and innovation.
Children’s and Emory University School of Medicine partner together on pediatric residency and fellowship training programs as well as the management and execution of clinical trials. Discoveries in Emory’s research laboratories are translated into lifesaving treatments at Children’s. Emory and Children’s share a unique employment agreement; more than 400 physicians hold titles at both independent institutions.
National Honors from U.S. News & World Report
Children’s ranks among the nation’s top pediatric hospitals on the U.S. News & World Report list of “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The report ranks hospitals for excellence in outcomes, program structure and national reputation in 10 pediatric specialty areas.
Our Awards
Why Atlanta?
In addition to our unique neighboring pediatric partners, Atlanta is full of diverse communities, walkable neighborhoods, a thriving arts and culture scene, and plenty of green spaces and sunny weather—it’s pretty easy to fall in love with our charming city.
Make Atlanta HomeMichael T. Busch, MD, Director, Orthopedic Fellowship
Orthopedic surgeons
- Jed Axelrod, MD
- Robert W. Bruce Jr., MD
- Michael T. Busch, MD
- Dennis P. Devito, MD
- Jorge A. Fabregas, MD
- Jill C. Flanagan, MD
- Nicholas D. Fletcher, MD
- Denver Kraft, MD
- Dell McLaughlin, MD
- Joshua Murphy, MD
- Dana Olszewski, MD, MPH
- Crystal Perkins, MD
- Michael L. Schmitz, MD
- Tim Schrader, MD
- S. Clifton Willimon, MD
Orthopedist
Sports medicine primary care physicians
Rachel Brandl, MD
2023-24
William Fravel, MD
2023-24
Alex DiBartola, MD
2022-23
Julia Fink, MD
2022-23
Alexandra D’Agostini, MD
2021-22
Jordan Vokes, MD
2021-22
Shaunette Davey, MD
2020-21
Jose Ramirez Gomez, MD
2020-21
Why Children's?
We manage one million patient visits annually at three hospitals, Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, urgent care centers and neighborhood locations.
Learn moreFellows participate in a full range of educational opportunities, including research, didactic conference, case presentation conferences, opportunities to attend national conferences and skills courses, outpatient specialty clinics and a wide array of surgical procedures from all subspecialty areas of pediatric orthopedics, such as:
- Bone health
- Cerebral palsy
- Complex hip reconstructive surgery, hip preservation and hip arthroscopy
- Complex limb reconstruction
- Muscular dystrophy
- Spine care and scoliosis
- Spina bifida
- Sports medicine
- Trauma
- Tumor
Fellows work at Arthur M. Blank Hospital and Scottish Rite Hospital, of which both are full-service children’s hospitals. Arthur M. Blank Hospital, Georgia’s only level one pediatric trauma center, is where the fellows take most of their call.
- Provide exceptional training in the identification and management of operative and non-operative treatment of pediatric orthopaedic disorders
- Prepare the fellows to actively participate in a modern healthcare system where the physicians are leaders in their practice and hospital systems
- Add to their residency habits of life-long learning
- Further their ability to evaluate and interpret medical literature
- Enhance their skills in research and teaching
Fellow schedules vary depending upon the week, cases, etc. Typical week: 3.5 days in the OR, 1 day in the office/clinic, 0.5 days admin/research.
- Call: Fellows take call one three-day weekend per month and one weekday every other week.
- Clinic/Office: Fellows are expected to see patients during the faculty office hours, typically one day per week. In conjunction with a faculty member, fellows also have their own clinics on alternating weeks.
- Research and Outcomes: Fellows are expected to complete at least one publishable research paper, and one Quality Improvement Project for the year.
- Children’s Orthopaedic Program Conferences:
- Pre-op conference – Monday
- Core curriculum – Tuesday and Wednesday
- Post-op conference – Thursday
- Sports – twice per month
- Radiology/Imaging (attending musculoskeletal radiologist) – monthly
- Tumor/pathology – monthly
- Hand/Upper extremity – monthly
- 20 core topics repeated twice per year
- Additional conferences (including Fridays)
- Journal club – monthly
- Complex limb – monthly
- Spine – monthly
- Hip – every other month
- Virtual or visiting professors – quarterly
- Labs - quarterly
Applications are due November 1. Please use SF Match to apply.
Applicants must be able to obtain a Georgia Medical License and must have attended residency within the United States. See state licensure requirements.
Contact Us 404-785-7568