Lake Tahoe Sports Medicine Fellowship
Board-eligible orthopedic surgeons interested in specializing in sports medicine are invited to apply for the Lake Tahoe Sports Medicine Fellowship sponsored by Barton Health.
Established in 1987 and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2009, the Lake Tahoe Sports Medicine Fellowship has provided advanced sports medicine and sports trauma education and training to over 100 past fellows.
Education and Goals
Focused on orthopedic surgery sub-specialty fields, sports medicine and sports trauma, including treatment of the aging athlete.
- Clinical education includes approximately 10-15 surgical cases per week and two days of clinical examination, diagnosis, and treatment in the office.
- Surgical cases are focused on knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy, shoulder and knee ligament reconstruction, joint reconstruction and arthroplasty, and operative and non-operative treatment of extremity trauma.
Core and adjunct faculty provide ongoing feedback, guidance, and formative evaluation.
Curriculum and Expectations
- Curriculum is structured around the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) guidelines; pre and post test required.
- Weekly Grand Rounds. Fellows will present a topic every quarter.
- CME credit is available for each hour of conference attended.
- Didactics include Case Conference, M&M, and Journal Club.
- Time and expenses for one sports medicine CME conference are provided.
- Anatomy/ cadaver labs available.
One educational course will be paid during the course of the fellowship. Courses like Smith and Nephew and Arthrex are automatically approved; other educational material can be reimbursed upon approval by the Program Director.
Please note, moonlighting is forbidden during your fellowship. And fellows take approximately four call days per month of independent call at Barton Memorial Hospital (extra pay is provided).
Training/ Surgical Facilities
- Barton Memorial Hospital - South Lake Tahoe, California
- Lake Tahoe Surgery Center - Zephyr Cove, Nevada
- Carson Valley Health - Gardnerville, Nevada
- Renown/Renown South Meadows - Reno, Nevada
- Quail Surgical & Pain Management Center - Reno, Nevada
- Surgery Center of Reno (SCOR) - Reno, Nevada
- Tahoe Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinics - California and Nevada
The Fellows will also rotate to Mammoth Lakes, California, a renowned ski and mountain bike town, to work with Dr. Brian Gilmer and Dr. Timothy Crall at the Mammoth Orthopedic Institute. Mammoth Lakes housing provided.
Research
Fellows are required to participate in ongoing and original research in sports medicine — the uniqueness of the Lake Tahoe area allows for research into new and forthcoming treatment modalities for recreational injuries, over-use injuries, and sports trauma.
A faculty member is available to assist research and lab activities and dedicated time is set aside each week for this purpose.
Athlete Medical Coverage
Fellows gain experience treating high school, college, and recreational athletes:
- Fall - each fellow covers one local high school football team.
- Winter - each fellow travels with the U.S. Ski Team to a location around the world and covers local ski events in the Lake Tahoe region.
- Spring/ Summer - recreational and regional sporting events occur all season; examples include the Lake Tahoe Marathon, Death Ride, and Epic Tahoe Half Marathon.
Past Statistics
In the past ten years, fellows have experienced:
- Type of Practice
- 37.04% Private Practice
- 25.93% Hospital-based Practice
- 11.11% Multi-specialty Group Practice
- 7.41% Academic
- Practice Demographics
- 55.6% Medium City
- 22.2% Rural/Community Hospital
- 11.1% Large Metro City
- 11.1% Other
- Percent of Practice
- 66.7% Sports
- 33.3% General
- Average Cases, both fellows for 12 months
- 2018-2019 Average 830 cases each
- 2019-2020 Average 544 cases each (COVID-19 lockdown)
- 2020-2021 Average 690 cases each
- 2021-2022 Average 655 cases each
- 2022-2023 Average 665 cases each
Applications
The Lake Tahoe Sports Medicine Fellows participates in SFMatch, residency and fellowship match services.
-
Applications for the 2026/2027 rotation open late 2024.
-
Interviews for the 2026/2027 Fellowship are March 7 & 8, 2025.
Qualifications
- Graduate of a medical school in the United States/ Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
- Graduate of a medical school in osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and accredited (or soon to be accredited) by the ACGME.
- Graduate of an orthopedic residency program in the United States/ Canada.
Complete all three steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) prior to the start of the program.
Applicants must be eligible for both a California and Nevada medical license. Fluoroscopy license is required in California. All licensing fees and renewals are paid for by the fellowship.
About Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is called the 'Jewel of the Sierra'. Its crystal-clear waters provide gorgeous views and endless activities. Lake Tahoe has become a year-round playground with world-class skiing/ snowboarding in the winter, and biking, hiking, and watersports in the spring, summer, and fall.
Lake Tahoe is located on the border of California and Nevada. About two-thirds of the lake is in California, with about one-third extending into Nevada at the north and south ends of the lake, and the entire eastern shore.
Snowfall in Lake Tahoe averages 215 inches per year with most ski resorts receiving between 300 and 500 inches per year. And with an average of 250 days a year of sunshine, it is ideal for the outdoor enthusiast!
