Orthopedic Fellowships

The Center for Orthopedic Research and Education (CORE) Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, is seeking Fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year for the Fellowship Programs listed below.

The CORE Institute was founded to fulfill a vision of orthopedic excellence encompassing the entire spectrum of orthopedic and musculoskeletal sciences. Consistent with our mission, The CORE Institute delivers the highest level of musculoskeletal healthcare, built upon a foundation of pioneering research, academics, community service, and a passion for excellence in patient care and outcomes.

Requirements when applying:  CV, Personal Statement, three letters of recommendation.

Completion of or currently participating in an Orthopedic Surgery Residency in the United States or Canada is required.

For more information, please visit the website at https://thecoreinstituteaz.com/fellowships/ or contact Susie Redell, Senior Program Coordinator, at  Show Contact Details  or  Show Contact Details     

FELLOWSHIPS: 

• The CORE Institute Hip and Knee Reconstruction Fellowship

Program Director:  Steven Myerthall, MD
Faculty:  Amalia de Comas, MD, Mark Campbell, MD, Justin Butler, DO

The CORE Institute Hip and Knee Reconstruction Fellowship spans 12 months and offers a distinctive, intensive curriculum. Each fellow undergoes extensive training under the guidance of highly experienced Adult Reconstruction attending surgeons, all of whom have completed fellowships. Fellows participate in dedicated rotations and based on previous years' experiences, actively engage in over 500 routine and intricate adult reconstruction surgeries during the fellowship. The program includes thorough training in robotics. Notably, the Adult Reconstructive Service handles one of the highest volumes of complex revision cases nationally, providing fellows with significant exposure to tumor reconstruction cases due to the faculty's diverse expertise. High-volume joint reconstruction service with a track record of clinical and educational excellence.

• The CORE Institute Interventional Spine/Pain Medicine Fellowship

Program Director:  Anuj Daftari, MD

Faculty:  Eric Feldman, MD, Kurt (Adam) Lundberg, DO

This 12-month clinical fellowship primarily focuses on non-operative spine care and interventional pain medicine. The fellow collaborates with physicians who have completed fellowships and are actively practicing within a large, highly active, multidisciplinary group in Phoenix, Arizona. Proficiency in various interventional spine procedures is a key aspect, encompassing lumbar/thoracic/cervical epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, medial branch blocks and radiofrequency neurotomy, sympathetic blocks, peripheral joint and nerve injections, spinal cord stimulator trials, dorsal root ganglion stimulator trials, spinal cord stimulator implants, disc stimulation procedures, and kyphoplasty.

The fellowship includes comprehensive training in medication management, fluoroscopic and ultrasound-guided injections, and electrodiagnostic. Fellows will also have the opportunity for elective rotations in orthopedic spine surgery and neuroradiology. The program offers a multitude of research opportunities. Successful completion of the fellowship makes fellows eligible to seek board certification through the American Board of Pain Medicine.

• The CORE Institute & Banner University of Arizona Phoenix, Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship

Program Director:  Niloofar Dehghan, MD

Faculty:  Michael McKee MD, Evan Lederman MD, Anup Shah MD, Midhat Patel MD, Theresa Pak DO

The Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship at The CORE Institute and University of Arizona Phoenix is a one-year program designed to provide comprehensive exposure to all aspects of shoulder and elbow surgery, and is recognized by American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES). The program includes a diverse group of world-renowned faculty from different backgrounds and philosophies, different practice patterns, and different research interests, to expose the fellow to everything in our field during the year. This includes a high volume of primary and revision shoulder arthroplasty, a multitude of treatments for rotator cuff pathology and shoulder instability, degenerative elbow pathology, including arthroscopy and arthroplasty, and both low-energy and high-energy shoulder and elbow trauma at two Level 1 trauma centers at which the faculty operate. The fellow will work with faculty from two practices, CORE and the University of AZ, each of which has its own research arm that has ongoing biomechanical and clinical studies. The fellow will be required to submit two manuscripts by the end of the year. The fellow will have dedicated research time to lead and participate in the broad range of research work performed in both departments. The two departments have extensive experience in training residents and fellows. The University of AZ trains 20 orthopaedic surgery residents (4 per postgraduate year), CORE trains 7 fellows (3 joint reconstruction fellows, 1 spine fellow, 1 pain management fellow, 2 foot and ankle/podiatry fellows), and the two institutions jointly train 2 hand/upper extremity fellows and 1 trauma fellow.

• The CORE Institute Spine Fellowship

Program Directors:  Ali Araghi, DO, and Norman Chutkan, MD
Faculty:  Byron Willis, MD

The CORE Institute Spine Fellowship offers a one-year post-residency program in the management of spinal disorders. The Spine Division is comprised of talented leaders covering all areas of spine surgical treatment with a team of pain management and rehabilitation specialists who provide non-operative spine care. Spinal disorder management includes non-surgical and surgical workups as well as preoperative evaluation and appropriate patient selection. Surgical training includes cutting-edge minimally invasive and open surgeries in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, from the anterior, lateral, and posterior approaches. Degenerative conditions as well as tumors, fractures, and adult deformity are part of the experience. The fellow will actively prepare for and participate in monthly spine conferences and journal clubs. The fellow will benefit from access to a biomechanical research laboratory, motion analysis laboratory, and a clinical research infrastructure with a fully staffed team of regulatory, contract, grant, and research coordinators.