This fall marks 10 years of fellowship excellence and five years since the IU Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship was ACGME accredited. “Our 10th anniversary is the first step in an emerging legacy,” said Roman Natoli, MD, PhD, fellowship director.
Natoli joined IU in 2016 and became the fellowship director in January 2020. His experience in both research and clinical care makes him a uniquely qualified program director.
For Hollyn Mangione, MEd, who has coordinated five cohorts of fellows under the guidance of two fellowship directors, Natoli’s short time as director has been incredibly impactful. “The biggest improvements have been increased diversity in our applicant pool and strengthening the educational/didactic components of the fellowship.”
Although he has only formally directed the program for close to five years, Natoli has mentored residents and fellows alike since joining IU. Natoli is excited by what the 10th anniversary means—and where the program is headed. “It’s a chance to reflect on a decade of collective work. We are pushing into the ranks of historically top-tier training programs.”
Reflecting on program success
The 10th anniversary is also an opportunity to celebrate the program’s fellows and alumni. “We have had some really outstanding fellows,” Mangione said. “All of them have been different from each other in the path they have taken to get here, but they are all dedicated to learning as much as they can while they are here. Our team works well together and supports each other, and I think our fellows really embrace that aspect of the program.”
Mangione, who serves as fellows’ primary contact and support during their fellowship, is especially proud of the program's emphasis on living well while completing the fellowship. “Our faculty takes teaching the next generations of surgeons very seriously and fosters our fellows’ inquisitive nature. We have a great team of APPs that really support our fellows. We are always striving to find work-life balance and really try to ensure that our fellows are able to rest, recharge and enjoy the work that we do.”
Natoli recognizes that much of the program’s success is due to the high-quality fellows it attracts. On top of ~670 cases per fellow in the year-long fellowship, fellows conduct ground-breaking research and often publish and present their findings at competitive conferences. “I’m always impressed by what our fellows can accomplish with such a demanding clinical workload.”
One unique aspect of the IU fellowship program is that fellows are mentored by prolific researchers and scholars, preparing them for positions at Level 1 academic trauma institutions. “We have a strong research presence with several large multi-site grants, which really helps our fellows do meaningful projects with the goal of publication,” Mangione shared.
In addition to this research component, fellows receive surgical and professional mentorship from some of the most highly skilled, well-trained physicians in the country. This intense but rewarding training is what attracts some of the country’s most qualified orthopaedic surgeons. “Because this is a small fellowship, fellows have the opportunity to work with each of our faculty. Fellows get to work with some exceptional physicians, and they learn multiple ways to address injuries,” Mangione said.
Mentorship from IU faculty physicians doesn’t end when a cohort graduates. “I’m in contact with most former fellows. We end up crossing paths at courses we teach, research meetings we go to and the OTA alumni gathering,” he said. Natoli is excited about the upcoming Orthopaedic Trauma Association annual meeting in October, where he will get to again connect with former fellows.
“We now have 21 alumni scattered about the country ‘repping’ the fellowship brand,” Natoli said. “These are some of the coolest, smartest, excellent and most dedicated people and orthopaedic trauma folks I know.”
Give now
You can ensure the next generation of orthopaedic trauma surgeons is supported by donating to the orthopaedic trauma fellowship. Your financial support helps fund fellows' travel to conferences, publication fees and more. Give now.
