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Foot and Ankle Fellowship

The University of Utah is committed to training physicians that can provide clinical excellence in orthopaedic foot and ankle care

Working with faculty with varied interests allows exposure to a broad spectrum of pathology during a busy fellowship experience. The primary focus of the fellowship is to produce graduates with expertise in nonsurgical and surgical foot and ankle care.  A comprehensive education program allows for exposure to both common and rare foot and ankle conditions.  The clinical experience focuses on the care of early adolescent patients to more senior members of the community.

Fellowship Team

Fellowship Information

  • Fellowship Positions: One
  • Duration: One year, August 1 – July 31
  • Director: Devon Nixon, MD
  • Interview Date: January 31, 2025

Interviews

Interviews will be conducted in person or by video link at the request of the applicant.  In person applicants will be invited to an optional social event the night before the interview and will be scheduled for interview earlier in the day to facilitate travel or a day enjoying the Utah Mountains.

Clinical Experience

Specialties

The surgical exposure of our fellows constitutes the complete spectrum of care provided by foot and ankle subspecialists. While the majority of the surgical procedures are focused on the foot and ankle, there are many opportunities to work on: 

  • lower extremity deformity correction
  • treat neuromuscular disorders
  • and engage in trauma care 

Our program allows for exposure to a broad range of lower extremity work and the opportunity to care for femur and tibia fractures and soft tissue releases around the hip and knee. 

On Call Services

Fellows provide call coverage at the Veterans Administration Medical Center.  Fellows can participate in paid trauma call at the University based on their interest level.

  • Former fellow Clayton Bettin maintains his focus

    Former fellow Clayton Bettin maintains his focus

  • The fellow celebrates his “blind squirrel finds acorn” moment after removal of the distal tibia fragment in one piece.

    The fellow celebrates his “blind squirrel finds acorn” moment after removal of the distal tibia fragment in one piece.

  • Fellow lab close-up

    Fellow lab close-up

  • Surgical teaching suites lab group

    Surgical teaching suites lab group

    Newly completed state of the art surgical teaching suites at the University Orthopaedic Center hosted a cadaver lab for teaching total ankle arthroplasty to former fellow Neil Bakshi, MD.

  • Dr Nixon and fellow

    Foot and Ankle Fellow Sean Parham, MD

    2023-2024 University of Utah Foot and Ankle Fellow celebrating his final case of fellowship with Devon Nixon MD.

Service and Education

The foot and ankle service includes:

  • Attending orthopaedic surgeons
  • Three physician assistants
  • One foot and ankle fellow
  • One 4th year orthopaedic resident
  • One 1st or 2nd year orthopaedic resident

Foot and Ankle Framework

Weekly foot and ankle indications conference, journal clubs, and a department-wide grand rounds program constitute the educational framework. Additionally, an annual series of foot and ankle lectures for the residents allows for the fellow to be exposed to multiple faculty lectures and to individually perform lectures themselves to the residents.

Research

Foot fellow research 1
Harold K. Dunn, MD, Orthopaedic Research Laboratory

Clinical and Bench Research 

Each fellow is expected to participate in clinical or bench research and must complete a publishable project during the year. An excellent biomechanics lab, a clinical outcomes database, among other tools, are available to support this goal. There is adequate time for research, and research can be customized based on the fellow's interest level.

foot fellow ski lab
Orthopaedic Surgical Knowledge Integration (SKI) Lab

Locations

  • University of Utah Orthopaedic Center (UUOC) – a high-volume primarily outpatient surgery center with inpatient capacity
  • University of Utah Hospital – one of two Level-1 trauma centers in Utah
  • Veteran’s Administration Hospital
  • Outside Clinics: South Jordan Health Center for both clinic and surgeries

Contact Us

Tiffany Schild

Phone: 801-587-5457
Fax: 801-587-5411
Email: Tiffany.schild@hsc.utah.edu

University of Utah Orthopaedic Center
590 Wakara Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

A glimpse into training at the University of Utah