The Laboratory of Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Research seeks to identify the mechanisms underlying atherogenesis and how to prevent it. Foremost among these mechanisms is reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), i.e., transfer of cholesterol from the arterial wall and other peripheral tissues to the liver for disposal. The major RCT mediator is high density lipoproteins (HDL); thus the lab’s focus is HDL biogenesis, the mechanisms by which distinct HDL subspecies are formed, and the role of specific amino acids within the major HDL proteins, apolipoprotein AI, in HDL formation. Lab staff also discovered an alternative RCT pathway and plan to further validate this pathway and determine whether it is impaired in patients with atherosclerosis. Testing a newly-identified cholesterol-lowering bacterial protein will aid in the design of new anti-atherogenic therapies that enhance RCT. On the clinical side, the lab participates in a large trial (LookAhead) of the effects of weight loss among obese, diabetic patients.

To be eligible for a fellowship position, certain criteria must be met:

Criteria

• Have successfully completed an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited orthopedic surgery residency training program
• Good professional character with at least three letters of recommendation attesting to your academic and personal qualifications
• A graduate of a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), or a college of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the AOA, or a medical school outside the U.S. and Canada with a current valid certificate from the ECFMG prior to appointment, or have completed a Fifth Pathway program through an LCME-accredited medical school.
• Be licensable in the State of Texas and obtain before beginning training a physician-in-training (PIT) permit or a valid Texas medical license
• Permanent resident status
• We will not be accepting applications of Foreign Medical Graduates, unless they have met the above criteria (www.acgme.org).

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

Responsibility

• Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
• Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

The Orthopedic Adult Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Houston Methodist is designed to provide the fellows with a well-rounded clinical and high-level research experience in total hip and knee replacement.

Houston Methodist is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the #1 hospital in Texas and our Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine is nationally recognized as #12 in the United States. Houston Methodist Hospital is located in the largest medical center in the world and serves as a regional referral center for complex cases. In addition to primary hip and knee replacement surgery, the arthroplasty surgeons perform unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, osteotomies around the hip and knee, and revision hip and knee replacement for all indications. The fellow will participate in all aspects of clinical care and will be exposed to a wide range of surgical cases, approaches, implants, and leading-edge technologies.

Fellows will also develop an understanding of ethical, socioeconomic, and medicolegal issues that affect patient care. They will learn how to apply appropriate utilization management and cost containment measures while providing quality patient care. Houston Methodist has an outpatient program for primary hip and knee arthroplasty and we will strive to teach the fellows how to be successful in practice with outpatient TJA.

The Houston Methodist fellowship is Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited, and provides many didactic activities - including weekly orthopedic conferences involving active clinical and research divisions and the orthopedic surgery residents. Participation in institutional orientation, education programs, and other activities involving medical center faculty is required.

Didactic activities of the fellowship include a weekly total joint replacement teaching conference with a defined syllabus designed to cover the field of hip and knee surgery. At the completion of the academic year, the fellow will have accumulated a library of didactic presentations. In addition to providing comprehensive general orthopedic care, the orthopedic surgery service maintains a strong research effort that further enhances its clinical services.

The fellow will have a designated research day every week to devote the necessary time and attention to the study and completion of the research topic or topics. The goal of the fellowship year is to enable the fellow to practice adult reconstructive surgery at the highest clinical level and to equip the fellow for a possible academic career. The surgical case mix between hip and knee surgery is evenly split. Around 30 percent of the cases logged by fellows each year are revision surgical cases.