Clinical Fellowship in Foot & Ankle Surgery

Duration

12-month position commencing August 1st each year

Stipend

Approximately AUS $70,000 per annum (including superannuation)

Institutions

Victorian Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Clinic
Epworth Private Hospital
Austin Repatriation Hospital
Waverley Private Hospital

Educational Goals and Objectives

Dr Beischer established the Victorian Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Clinic fellowship program in 2002. Since then he has trained more than 20 orthopaedic surgeons from Australia and around the world. The fellowship program provides a comprehensive exposure to all aspects of this subspecialty including, trauma, adult reconstructive, sports medicine (including arthroscopy) and management of the diabetic foot. The fellow works with Dr Beischer in his private practice at the Victorian Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Clinic, which is based at the Epworth Private Hospital, Richmond, Victoria. The fellow will be involved in 4-5 operating and 3-4 consulting sessions per week in the private sector.

The fellow is also appointed as an orthopaedic fellow at the Austin Repatriation Hospital (ARH) and with Dr Cornoiu is an integral member of the Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle service at that institution. The fellow is involved in up to one operating and one outpatient session per week at the ARH.

The combined private and public operative case-load is approximately 15 foot and ankle cases per week.
The fellow is allocated a full day per week for research activity which is regarded as an important aspect of the fellowship program. During the 12 months each fellow is expected to complete two research projects of a quality acceptable for publication. The fellowship is linked with the University of Melbourne, which allows access of the fellow to world-class research facilities such as gait, anatomical, biomechanical and computer animation laboratories. At the Clinic the fellow is provided with his/her own desk equipped with an iMac computer that is connected to the internet. The Clinic has an extensive collection of Foot & Ankle texts that the fellow may use and through the clinic the fellow is given online access to the major Foot & Ankle publications.

Formal teaching sessions included in the roster include monthly Foot & Ankle MRI meetings, Foot & Ankle case conference meetings and attendance at the Epworth Orthopaedic Unit Journal Club. The fellow will have some responsibility registrar and medical student teaching at the Epworth Private Hospital.

The Fellows House

Waltham Courtyard	Waltham Dining living
Waltham Facade	Waltham-bedroom
Waltham Dining Kitchen

In 1998 and 1999 Dr Beischer undertook his own fellowship training in the USA in Dallas, Seattle and Baltimore. Each fellowship position required setting up a temporary home which always proved to be a frustrating and expensive exercise. Consequently in 2005 Dr Beischer purchased a renovated 3 bedroom house in Richmond that is fully furnished and setup for the fellow and any family to enjoy during their stay in Melbourne. The house is at 22 Waltham St and well located to the sporting and shopping heart of Melbourne and is less than 5 minutes walk to the Victorian Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Clinic. This amenity has been universally enjoyed and appreciated by those fellows who have lived in the “Fellows House”. The monthly rental for the “Fellows House” is $2600, which is substantially less than the market rate for such a house. The house is connected to electricity and gas utilities but the fellow is responsible for these expenses. Connection of telephone and / or internet to the house is up to the individual fellow when they arrive.

Requirements

All candidates for the fellowship position must be eligible for registration to the Medical Board of Australia and over seas candidates must obtain a 457 long stay business visa.
The applicant must have completed his/her general orthopaedic training in their home country. A successful applicant will need to agree to return to their home country immediately upon completion of their year of fellowship training.

How to apply

Applicants must forward a detailed curriculum vitae, certification of past training and names and email addresses of 3 referees with whom he/she has worked with in the 3 years prior to application Ideally at least one of these should be an orthopaedic surgeon recognized interest in the subspecialty of foot & ankle surgery.

Applications should be emailed to Dr Andrew D Beischer at drbeischer@footsurgeon.com.au