(800) 888-HAND (4263)

Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center Fellowship Programphysician

A letter to our potential fellowship candidates:

We believe the formal education of a hand surgeon is a daunting task; the field is enormous, ranging from the fingertips, across the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints, to the brachial plexus, bringing together all aspects of orthopedic, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery in this single, extremely important area of the body. We believe that the experience a fellow will receive during the very short 12-month training period is best supplied through a multidisciplinary approach, involving a healthy number of committed educators with varying specialty interests and expertise. The importance of this one year of fellowship training cannot be overstated.

We believe strongly the best postoperative training in hand surgery is provided from a private practice base. Each hand fellow begins his/her year of postgraduate training not as PGY-6 resident, but as an associate of Hand Surgery Associates of Indiana, Inc.— our umbrella corporation. As far as our patients, support staff, and the community-at-large are concerned, Hand Surgery Associates of Indiana, Inc., consists of 17 doctors working together to take care of our very large and diverse patient population.

The fellowship experience at Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center is contemporary. Not only is every fellow didactically instructed on the fine nuances of practical, clinical hand surgery, and rehabilitation, but also each is taught the spectrum of contemporary issues with which he/she must deal after completing the fellowship and joining an institutional or private hand surgery practice. Extensive lectures and experience, in addition to the spectrum of clinical responsibility our fellows have in helping manage the complexities of our busy hand practice, make our graduating hand fellows some of the best-prepared hand surgeons in the United States.

Sincerely,

The Physicians of Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center

ResearchFellowship Program

The Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center’s team of board-certified orthopedic surgeons and Fellows are committed leaders in conducting and participating in clinical research programs related to all aspects of the entire upper extremity. Through these research efforts, we have been able to improve overall patient care as well as our clinical outcomes. Our surgeons and Fellows continually participate in the development and invention of new prosthetic devices, cutting-edge surgical techniques, and state-of-the-art treatment solutions.

Some of our research efforts include:

  • Development of elbow replacement
  • Assisting with development of new internal fixation devices for fracture care
  • Investigation of better options for treatment of wrist arthritis
  • Investigation of treatments for nerve compression syndromes
  • Participation in studies looking at new treatments for Dupuytren’s contracture
  • Assisting in developing devices used for treatment of radius fractures
  • Development of safer and more innovative uses of wrist arthroscopy
  • Evaluation of treatments for basilar thumb arthritis
  • Evaluation of treatments for tendon ruptures and repairs

EducationFellowship Program

Dedication to teaching and providing higher education to other physicians and healthcare professionals is the epicenter of Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center’s vision.

Our multi-disciplinary postgraduate fellowship education program for hand and upper extremity is currently one of largest of its kind in the world.

Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center sponsors and conducts the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation Resident and Fellow Course in Indianapolis each year. This annual course is offered to our fellows, Indiana University School of Medicine residents and other individuals interested in internal screw and plate fixation of fractures in the hand and wrist.

For more than 20 years, we have been conducting “Hand Care: Clinical Approaches to Rehabilitation for the Upper Extremity,” a bi-annual meeting geared toward occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians, and nurses with a special interest in hand rehabilitation. This national meeting is recognized as one of the leading hand therapy conferences in the country.

Our surgeons also regularly conduct continuing education workshops, seminars and cadaver labs for physicians, athletic trainers, EMTs, paramedics, and workers’ compensation professionals.

Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center (IHTSC) established the Ruth A. Lilly Library to support research and education relating to surgery and therapy of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. The Library supports the clinical and research activities of the IHTSC physicians, fellows, orthopedic residents, therapists, nurses, as well as Indiana University School of Medicine students. It houses over 1,200 books pertaining to the upper extremities, microsurgery, plastic surgery, sports medicine, and general orthopedics. It also subscribes and provides online access to an array of specialized journals and books. The current research Librarian holds a PhD in Information Sciences, a Masters in Library Science as well as a Masters in English.

The Library has an online catalog. From office or home:
Go to : http://opac.libraryrworld.com
For Name of Library, enter “hand surgery library”
Click on Login. No password is required

About the program

About this Program

Since its inception in 1971, Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center has been committed to an academic tradition of providing the highest quality postgraduate fellowship education to surgeons from around the entire United States who have completed formal orthopedic, plastic, or general surgical training. These surgeons have elected to delay their own practice for an additional year, in order to expose themselves to intense training in the field of hand and upper extremity surgery.

Of the many applicants who apply each year for our 12-month fellowship positions, we select six to train. We have educated 180 postgraduate surgeons, each of whom is board-eligible when he or she begins the year with us. These young men and women have gone on after the completion of their fellowship with us to disperse themselves nationwide throughout the full spectrum of academic and private practice.

During the program, each fellow completes a two month rotation with each Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center orthopedic surgeon. They practice in the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center’s state-of-the-art 40,000 square-foot facility that includes:

  • Three operating room suites
  • Two procedure rooms
  • Nerve block room
  • Emergency room intake
  • 18 exam rooms
  • X-ray and EMG
  • Occupational therapy department
  • Surgery videotaping suite
  • Anatomy lab

The fellows also collaborate individually with one of our surgeons to conduct an upper extremity surgery research project. Many of these projects have been published in peer-reviewed literature. Our fellows present their research findings at the annual Tri-State Conference along with other hand surgery fellows from Louisville and Cincinnati programs.

Fellowship teaching history

Each of our partners has come to the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center to pursue his own personal passion and fulfill a commitment to teaching postgraduate hand surgical training. All partners have completed a fellowship and are board-certified. Through our fellowship program, they are role models and instill camaraderie and a sense of esprit de corps. They have been trained at some of the most reputable residency programs in the country and have been recruited from around the nation to join our practice.

William B. Kleinman, MD, originally hails from New Jersey. He received his orthopaedic training and post-graduate Hand Fellowship training at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City before his microvascular surgery training at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. Dr. Kleinman is the only partner at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center who did not receive his post-graduate hand training in Indianapolis. His areas of academic intensity focus on wrist pathophysiology, congenital reconstruction and nerve entrapment. He was our first Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellow from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.


Thomas J. Fischer, MD, is our only native Hoosier, but received his orthopaedic training at the University of Washington in Seattle. After his Hand Fellowship atthe Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center, he requested an additional six months of microvasular surgery training at Duke University, and six months of hand education at multiple centers in Europe before joining us in practice. Dr. Fischer is a master educator, with a primary focus on skeletal fixation. Each resident from the Indiana University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery rotates with Dr. Fischer for their hand surgery exposure. In addition, he is an active and highly visible part of our Fellowship Training Program.

James J. Creighton, Jr., MD, came to us from Upstate New York. He received his orthopaedic residency training at the State University of New York in Buffalo before his formal post-graduate Fellowship hand training in Indianapolis. Dr. Creighton has a high level of expertise in the arena of Workman’s Compensation. His understanding of the complex issues of injuries in the workplace has been important to the balance of our practice, and for our Fellows’ understanding of the complexities of many of these issues. Dr. Creighton and our administrative officers provide critical information to our Fellows throughout their academic year, especially regarding the pitfalls of establishing one’s self in the practice of hand surgery after Fellowship.

Robert M. Baltera, MD, hails from the New York metropolitan area and received his orthopaedic training in Syracuse, NY. He has been deeply involved in the finances of the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center for many years and brings significant insight into keeping our organization fiscally healthy. Dr. Baltera is an integral part of our Fellows’ training. His contemporary perspective enables him to provide them with the understanding of how the hand surgery specialty has migrated to become complex and multifaceted.

Jeffrey A. Greenberg, MD, was raised in Brooklyn, NY. Like Dr. Baltera, Dr. Greenberg received his training in orthopaedic surgery at the Syracuse program, prior to being selected to receive his Hand Surgery training in Indianapolis. He is yet another passionate hand surgeon, bringing a high level of enthusiasm for clinical research and teaching to our practice.

F. Thomas Kaplan, MD, is from Baltimore and received his orthopaedic training at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City before receiving his hand surgery training at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center. Dr. Kaplan has a boundless enthusiasm for teaching and a strong commitment to the ideals of our Fellowship Program. With his special interest in arthroscopic and reconstructive shoulder surgery, he brings an additional facet to the practice. Dr. Kaplan is currently the director of our Fellowship Program and is instrumental in regularly organizing prospective studies and clinical research projects with our Fellows.

Gregory A. Merrell, MD, is our newest surgeon, joining us in 2007. He received his MD and his residency training in orthopaedics from Yale. He then completed a one-year hand surgery fellowship at Brown University. Dr. Merrell is the head of the medical advisory board and serves on the board of directors for Covalon Technologies, a Canadian biotechnology company. He is working with Covalon to develop an innovative line of antimicrobial orthopaedic implants. His other research interests include the study of bone and nerve healing. Dr. Merrell won the Marshall Urist American Orthopaedic Association award for his research on bone healing. He has written a number of journal articles and book chapters on minimally invasive treatment of scaphoid fractures. His other clinical interests include fracture care, wrist arthritis and elbow arthroscopy.

Dr. Merrell served as team physician for the 2002 Search for Genghis Khan expedition to Mongolia. This expedition was featured on a Discovery Channel documentary.

Business education series

The business curriculum portion of the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center’s fellowship program is unique. In addition to the clinical aspects of upper extremity surgery, our program includes an intensified business curriculum to prepare the fellows for actually practicing in a private office/Surgery Center or academic setting. The syllabus for our Business Education Series includes billing and coding philosophies, customer service and professional relationships, computer software, and marketing.

Didactic Curriculum

Our didactic curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive foundation to the study of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. The goal is to supplement the hands-on clinical knowledge our fellows gain through their one-on-one mentorship with staff. A core of approximately 50 lectures is given over the year. In addition, our surgeons conduct three hands-on courses as well.

Additionally, our staff and fellows engage in monthly Journal Clubs to review and critique recent literature, M&M conferences, a series of anatomic dissections, and a monthly Difficult Problem Conference where one or two patients are evaluated by our staff and fellows. Suggestions are then made regarding further treatment options through a round-table discussion.

Flap Course

  • Principles of soft tissue coverage of the upper extremity
  • Local flaps for hand & UE coverage
  • Regional and distant flaps

Tendon Transfer Course

    • Introduction and principles of tendon transfer
    • Radial nerve palsy and transfers
    • Ulnar nerve palsy and transfers
    • Median nerve and combined palsy and transfers
    • AO course on fracture fixation in the hand and upper extremity


Shoulder Arthroscopy Labs (2-3 sessions)

  • Knot tying
  • DAM Lab—instability and SLAP
  • DAM Lab—rotator cuff repair

Didactic Lecture Topics

1. Fingertip & nail bed injury and repair
2. Splinting and casting 101
3. X-ray evaluation of the upper extremity
4. Metacarpal and phalangeal fractures
5. Extensor tendon anatomy and acute injury
6. Flexor tendon anatomy and repair
7. Introduction to microsurgery/replantation surgery
8. Infections of the hand (Dr. Bunce)
9. Nerve injury and repair/reconstruction
10. E and M coding
11. Wrist examination/arthroscopy
12. Compression neuropathy – CTS/CuTS
13. Evaluation of the work comp patient/cumulative trauma
14. Tendonitis about the wrist – DeQuervain’s, intersection, FCU, ECU
15. Compartment syndrome/Volkmann’s
16. Elbow exam/arthroscopy
17. Principles of soft tissue coverage 1 – local and regional flaps
18. Flexor tendon tenolysis and chronic reconstruction
19. Chronic extensor tendon injury – mallet, swan-neck, boutonniere, sagittal band
20. PPI evaluation
21. Scaphoid fracture and nonunion
22. Benign tumors of the upper extremity
23. Shoulder physical exam and arthroscopy
24. Sports injuries – gamekeeper’s mallet, FDP, avulsion, hamate hook, etc.
25. PIP joint fracture/dislocation
26. Dupuytren’s contracture
27. Congenital malformations
28. Distal radius fractures/malunion/nonunion
29. Rheumatoid arthritis 1 – soft tissue deformity/wrist reconstruction
30. Rheumatoid arthritis 2 – MP and PIP arthroplasty
31. Elbow instability
32. Carpal dislocation/other carpal bonx Rx
33. Kienbock’s
34. Chronic regional pain syndrome
35. Scleroderma/vascular disease/ulnar artery
36. Principles of soft tissue coverage 2 – free flaps
37. OA/post-traumatic – thumb and digits
38. OA/post-traumatic DJD – wrist – PRC, 4-corner, total fusion, arthroplasty
39. Elbow contracture/heterotopic ossification/arthroplasty
40. Medial and lateral epicondylitis/distal biceps tendon injury/triceps
41. Cerebral palsy
42. Congenital thumb problems
43. Thumb reconstruction/microvascular
44. Extravasation/high-pressure injury
45. Malignant tumors of the upper extremity
46. Shoulder rotator cuff disease
47. Amputation/prosthetics – digit, ray, forearm
48. Thermal and chemical burns of the upper extremity
49. Brachial plexus palsy
50. Stroke/tetraplegia

Anatomy Dissections

  • Cadaver elbow
  • Cadaver wrist
  • Cadaver hand/finger
  • Cadaver thumb/palm
  • Cadaver forearm
  • Cadaver shoulder

* Note: The anatomy lab is available throughout the year for fellow dissections.

Indianapolis Information

Indianapolis is a world-class city with world-class people. It’s a great, clean, and safe place to live, work, and raise a family and has experienced a great amount of recent growth. We are known as the amateur sports capital of the world.People like living in Indianapolis because we have many attractions of a big city, and the friendly feel of a smaller community. Whether you’re a sports fan, love the arts, cultural events, or enjoy shopping and fine dining, Indianapolis has something for everyone.

Some of our city’s attractions include:

Graduates and current fellows

Current Fellows (2016-2017):
Jue Cao, M.D.
Shannon Cassel, M.D.
Alexander Choo, M.D.
Megan Crosmer, M.D.
Paul Nielsen, M.D.
Amar Patel, M.D.
Brandon Smetana, M.D.More than 200 graduates from our fellowship program are practicing hand surgery in the private sector and university settings across the U.S. and around the world.A

A

Samuel S. Abrams, M.D., Asheville, NC
Rasheed Ahmad, M.D., Baton Rouge, LA
Scott Allen, M.D., Mount Pleasant, TX
Kurt Anderson, M.D., Spokane, WA
Robert Anderson, M.D., St. Paul, MN
Justin M. Arnold, M.D.
Salman Ashruf, M.D., Glen Burnie, MD

B

Richard Barth, M.D., Washington, D.C.
Mykola J. Bartkiw, M.D.
Robert Bassett, M.D., Hays, KS
Taizoon Baxamusa, M.D., Morton Grove, IL
Michael Bednar, M.D., Maywood, IL
Anup Bendre, M.D., Warrenville, IL
Roderick Birnie, M.D., Chicago, IL
Allen Bishop, M.D., Rochester, MN
James Boler, M.D., Schenectady, NY
H. Boulas, M.D., Dallas, TX
Timothy C. Bowlin, M.D., Baton Rouge, LA
Martin Boyer, M.D., St. Louis, MO
Michael Brody, M.D.
Nicholas Bruggeman, M.D., Omaha, NE
Charity S. Burke, M.D., Cincinnati, OH
Warren Burrows, M.D., Groton, CT
Matthew A. Butler, M.D., Neenah, WI

C

Christopher Caddy, M.D., Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
James Calandruccio, M.D., Germantown, TN
William Call, M.D., Crystal Bay, MN
Barry Callahan, M.D., Gulf Breeze, FL
John Capo, M.D., Newark, NJ
Charlie Carroll, M.D., Chicago, IL
Alan Christensen, M.D., Orlando, FL
Minas Chrysopoulo, M.D., San Antonio, TX
Thomas Cittadine, M.D., Noblesville, IN
Carlton Clinkscales, M.D., Denver, CO
Mark Cohen, M.D., Chicago, IL
Donald Condit, M.D., Grand Rapids, MI
Nicholas Crosby, M.D.,
Joseph Cullen, M.D., Green Bay, WI
Richard Curd, M.D., Sioux Falls, SD
Robert Curnow, M.D., Laramie, WY

D

Jeanne DelSignore, M.D., Rochester, NY
Michael Devine M.D., Charlottesville, VA
Timothy Dew, M.D., Greer, SC
J. Dustman M.D., Bloomington, IL

E

Kenneth Easterling, M.D., Hialeah, FL
James Eckenrode, M.D., Columbia, MO
Robert Ellis, M.D., Elkhart, IN
Jerry Ellstein, M.D., Huntington, NY
Christina Endress, M.D., Michigan
Drew Engles, M.D., Akron, OH
John Ernst, M.D., Charleston, SC

F

William Feinstein, M.D., St. Louis, MO
John Fernandez, M.D., Chicago, IL
Mike Fitzgerald, M.D., Syracuse, NY
Daniel E. Firestone, M.D., Leawood, KS
Mohab Foad, M.D., Cincinnati, OH
Ross Fox, M.D., Denville, NJ

G

Jean-Louis Gabriel, M.D., Wichita, KS
Ty Garon, M.D., Baton Rouge, LA
R. Glenn Gaston, M.D., Charlotte, NC
David Gilbert, M.D., Fort Lauderdale, FL
S. Glogovac, M.D., Bridgeton, MO
Robert Goitz, M.D., Pittsburgh, PA
Nicholas Gove, M.D., Lincoln, NE
Charan Gowda, M.D., Columbus, OH
Steven Graff, M.D., Pawtucket, RI
Thomas Graham, M.D., Baltimore, MD
William Gramig, M.D., Greensboro, NC
Jennifer Green, M.D., Balmoral, NSW 2088
Thomas Greene, M.D., Tampa, FL
Allen Groebs, M.D., Murray Bryan, OH
Matthew Grothaus, M.D.

H

Hugh Hagan, M.D., Roanoke, VA
Ward Hamlet, M.D., Fort Wayne, IN
Kenneth Hanington, M.D., Bend, OR
D. Levi Harrison, M.D., Marine del Rey, CA
Robert Hartwig, M.D., Sylvania, OH
James Heinrich, M.D., Evansville, IN
C. Noel Henley, M.D., Fayetteville, AR
John Hermansdorfer, M.D., Melbourne, FL
John Hildenbrand, M.D., Thibodaux, LA
Levi Hinkelman, M.D., Grand Rapids, MI
John Hogikyan, M.D., Ypsilanti, MI
Jeffrey Husband, M.D., Bloomington, MN

I

Robert Ivy, M.D., Knoxville, TN
Kayvon D. Izadi, M.D., Omaha, NE

J

Paul Jacobson, M.D., Traverse City, MI
Michele James, M.D., Sacramento, CA
D. Jemison, M.D., Chattanooga, TN
Christopher Johnson, M.D., Tinton Falls, NJ
Curtis Johnson, M.D., Orem, UT
Jedediah Jones, M.D., Las Vegas, NV

K

Carleton Keck, M.D., Seattle, WA
Imran Khan, M.D., Leesburg, VA
Thomas Kiefhaber, M.D., Cincinnati, OH
Thomas Kiesler, M.D., Warrenville, IL
Garry Kitay, M.D., Jacksonville, FL
John Klein, M.D., Indianapolis, IN
Ryan Klinefelter, M.D., Columbus, OH
Kevin Knox, M.D., Indianapolis, IN
Daniel Kokmeyer, M.D.,
Byung H. Koo, M.D.
Rudy Kovachevich, M.D., Denver, CO
Michael Krebsbach, M.D., Boca Raton, FL
Jeff Kutsikovich, M.D., Franklin, TN

L

Joanne E. Labriola, M.D., Chicago, IL
Paul Lamberti, M.D., Oakbrook, IL
Karl Larsen, M.D., Lexington, KY
William LaSalle, M.D., Fort Wayne, IN
Julie Lawrence, M.D., Brighton, SA, Australia
Mark Leber, M.D., Phoenix, AZ
Robert LeBlanc, M.D., Lafayette, LA
Christopher Lechner, M.D., Asheville, NC
W.P. Lee, M.D., Pittsburg, PA
Stephen Leibovic, M.D., Richmond, VA
John Leppard, M.D., Woodbury, NY
Daniel R. Lewis, M.D., Charlotte, NC
Mary Ling, M.D., Warrenville, IL
Timothy Loth, M.D., Cedar Rapids, IA
Gary Lourie, M.D., Atlanta, GA
Nancy Lynch, M.D. San Mateo, CA

M

John MacIlwaine, M.D., Charleston, SC
Richard Makowiec, M.D., Warrensville, IL
Tobias Mann, M.D.
Santosh Mathen, M.D., New York, NY
Ian C. Marrero-Amadeo, M.D., Puerto Rico
Stephen McCollam, M.D., Atlanta, GA
T. McDermott, M.D., Richmond, VA
Thomas J. McDonald, M.D., Sonora, CA
Joseph S McLaughlin, M.D., Stoneham, MA
A. Mencias, M.D., South Bend, IN
Paul Metzger, M.D., Sutter Creek, CA
Bruce Monaghan, M.D., Woodbury, NJ
Michael Moore, M.D., Little Rock, AR
Bill Mulbry, M.D., Charleston, SC
Douglas Musgrave, M.D., Vancouver, WA

N

Mark Nabarro, M.D., Sydney, Australia

O

Stephen O’Connell, M.D., Rancho Mirage, CA

P

Billy Page, M.D., Spokane, WA
Carl Palumbo, M.D., Houston, TX
William Payne, M.D., Denver, CO
Kathryn Peck, M.D., Indianapolis, IN
William Pekman, M.D., Hickory, NJ
David Petersen, M.D., Grand Rapids, MI
Michael Pickart, M.D., Ventura, CA
Kevin Plancher, M.D., New York, NY
James Popp, M.D., Columbus, OH
Rodger Powell, M.D., Gainesville, FL
Stephen Powell, M.D., Missoula, MT

R

Aundrea D. Rainville, M.D.
Michael Raemisch, M.D., Salt Lake City, UT
Arthur Rettig, M.D., Indianapolis, IN
Michael Robichaux, M.D., Baton Rouge, LA
Jeffrey Rodgers, M.D., W. Des Moines, IA
Scott Rogers, M.D., Kalispell, MT
Peter Ronchetti, M.D., Rochester, NY
Robert Russell, M.D., Springfield, IL

S

Kavi Sachar, M.D., Denver, CO
Wilbur Sandbulte, M.D., Auburn, WA
William Sanders, M.D., Heliotes, TX
Cameron Schick, M.D.
Christopher Schmidt, M.D., Pittsburgh, PA
Mark Schramm, M.D., Elkhart, IN
John Schneider, M.D., Greenfield, WI
Douglas Schreiber, M.D., Virginia Beach, VA
John Showalter, M.D., Warrenville, IL
Thomas Stackhouse, M.D., Marlton, NJ
S. Tyler Staelin, M.D., Nashville, TN
James Stafford, M.D., Houston, TX
James B. Steichen, M.D., Indianapolis, IN
Bruce Steinberg, M.D., Jacksonville, FL
Leo Stelzer, M.D., Denver, CO
John Stogin, M.D., Chicago, IL
Stefan Strapko, M.D., Nashua, NH
Robert Strauch, M.D., New York, NY

T

Scott Tanaka, M.D.,
Andrew Thomas, M.D., St. Paul, MN
Jose Thomas-Richards, M.D., Centreville, VA
P. Thorderson, M.D., Tupelo, MS
L. Eugene Thornburg, M.D., Asheville, NC
Robert Torstrick, M.D., Jackson, TN
William Truluck, M.D., Okemos, MI
Eugene Tsai, M.D., Los Angeles, CA
Chad Turner, M.D.

U

Stephen Umansky, M.D., Lexington, KY
Kenneth P. Unruh, M.D.

V

James Vahey, M.D., Las Vegas, NV
Josh Vella, M.D., Phoenix, AZ
Randall Viola, M.D., Vail, CO
William Vitello, M.D., Arlington Heights, IL

W

William Wagner, M.D., Seattle, WA
J. Clinton Walker, M.D., Overland Park, KS
Justin Walker, M.D.
Donald Warren, M.D., LeGrande, OR
Douglas Wegner, M.D., Tucson, AZ
Douglas Weikert, M.D., Nashville, TN
A. Peter Weiss, M.D., Providence, RI
Matthew Welsh, M.D., Florence, SC
James Whitaker, M.D., Kansas City, MO
Geoffrey Wiedeman, M.D., Sacramento, CA
Thomas, Wiedrich, M.D., Chicago, IL
James Williams, M.D., Peoria, IL

Y

Mark Yaffe, M.D.
Colby Young, M.D., Las Vegas, NV

Z

Justin Zumsteg, M.D., Orlando, FL

Fellowship requirements

The requirements for the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center are as follows:

  • Universal hand surgery application
  • Four letters of recommendation
  • Current CV
  • Medical school transcript – official sealed one not necessary (copy is okay).
  • USMLE scores

These materials should be sent to:

F. Thomas D. Kaplan, M.D.
Fellowship Program Director
8501 Harcourt Road
Indianapolis, IN 46260

Deadline for applications is December 1. Interviews are held mid-January through the end of March. Dates have not been set at this time.

Thank you for your interest in our program.

Hand research and education grants

Physicians who are board-eligible in orthopedics, plastic surgery, or general surgery, and who have completed or are completing a fellowship at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center are encouraged to apply for grants through the Hand Research and Education Endowment Fund via the St. Vincent Foundation. There are no specific guidelines for projects within the framework of hand surgery, and selection is based on the merits of the proposal. Requests for funding will be submitted to the Hand Research and Education Endowment Fund advisory committee for review.

Grants are awarded in the range of $5,000 – $20,000 for a term of one year. More substantial requests, however, will be considered as resources are available. Funding beyond one year requires submission of a new application.

Applications for grants may be submitted year-round but are reviewed quarterly by the grant committee. Applicants will be notified within two weeks of review by the Foundation as to the status of the request.

What the Foundation Funds

  • Projects within the framework of hand surgery, including but not limited to basic science, clinical outcomes, and anatomic surgical technique
  • Salaries of technical or professional assistants, purchase of supplies, or minor pieces of equipment

What Will Not Be Funded

  • Personal compensation of investigators
  • Travel or conferences
  • Publication costs
  • Payment of hospital care for patients under study
  • Purchase of major pieces of equipment

Evaluation and Reporting

Grant recipients are required to submit a written report upon completion of their project or submit a progress report within one year of receipt of funds. Awardees are encouraged to submit resulting manuscripts to “The Journal of Hand Surgery” or other appropriate peer review journals.Grant application forms are available by contacting the St. Vincent Foundation at (317) 338-2338 or robaker@stvincent.org. If you have questions about grants or the grants process, please contact the Foundation prior to the submission of your application.

Grant applications can be mailed to:

The Hand Research and Education Endowment Fund
c/o St. Vincent Foundation
8402 Harcourt Road, Suite 210
Indianapolis, IN 46260