Burn Surgery Fellowship
BURN SURGERY FELLOWSHIP
The Burn Surgery Fellowship program provides surgeons with specialized training in the comprehensive care of burn patients. Fellows learn the principles of burn resuscitation, wound management, and critical care of burn-injured individuals. They gain expertise in managing complex burn injuries, including deep dermal and full-thickness burns, in both adult and pediatric patients, and acquire skills in burn reconstruction, including skin grafting, tissue expansion, and scar management. Interdisciplinary collaboration with specialists in plastic surgery, rehabilitation, and psychology to address the long-term needs of burn survivors is also emphasized. The program equips fellows with the knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive, patient-centered burn care from the acute phase to long-term rehabilitation.
Fellows also work closely with our team in University of Utah's Regional Burn Center, which is verified by the the American Burn Association, throughout the program. In the center, our team is committed to working with all communities to deliver high-quality comprehensive care to burn patients and are proud to work collaboratively in our multidisciplinary team to strive to obtain the best possible patient outcomes. This commitment is reflected in the fellowship program education, where fellows are trained to become the best possible burn surgeons.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Our burn surgery program is designed to give graduating fellows a firm foundation to elevate their surgical career. Our fellows our trained to be competent, caring physicians who are capable of caring for the most complex burn cases. Learn more below!
- Develop Expert Burn Surgeons: Train highly skilled and competent burn surgeons capable of providing comprehensive and specialized care to patients with burn injuries.
- Advance Patient Outcomes: Improve patient outcomes by equipping fellows with advanced knowledge, techniques, and strategies for the effective management of burn injuries, leading to enhanced survival rates, reduced complications, and improved quality of life.
- Promote Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Foster collaboration among various healthcare professionals involved in burn care, such as nurses, therapists, nutritionists, and psychologists, to ensure holistic and patient-centered treatment approaches.
- Encourage Research and Innovation: Engage fellows in burn-related research, innovation, and clinical studies to contribute to the advancement of burn care techniques, wound healing, pain management, and psychological support.
- Elevate Critical Care Management: Provide specialized training in the critical care management of burn patients, including fluid resuscitation, infection control, and inhalation injury management, to ensure optimal patient stabilization and recovery.
- Cultivate Leadership Skills: Develop leadership skills that enable fellows to lead burn care teams, coordinate patient care, and effectively communicate with interdisciplinary teams, patients, and their families.
- Contribute to Burn Injury Prevention: Empower fellows to play an active role in burn injury prevention efforts through community outreach, education, and advocacy for safety measures and first aid awareness.
- Foster Professional Growth: Provide a supportive environment for fellows' professional growth, encouraging their pursuit of academic roles, teaching opportunities, and contributions to the field of burn surgery.
- Empower Compassionate Care: Instill a patient-focused and empathetic approach to burn care, ensuring fellows prioritize the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of burn patients throughout their recovery journey.
- Champion Ethical Practice: Engender ethical values and principles, ensuring fellows prioritize patient well-being, respect patient autonomy, and maintain the highest standards of integrity in their practice.
The burn fellowship is a year-long program. One fellowship position is available each academic year. For application information, visit the apply section section of this page.
The Burn Surgery Fellowship Program offers fellows a variety of research opportunities depending on their interests. Below is a selection of previous fellow publications and research.
- Amniotic Fluid Injections in Chronic Non-Healing Wounds in Pediatric Patients: A Case Series - Darelli-Anderson AM, South S, Lewis GM
- Outbreak of Carbapenem-Polymyxin-Quat-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Associated with Mafenide Acetate shortages: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Eradication - Fleming I, Tang C, Lewis GM
- Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Burn Patients: Analyzing the Effectiveness of a Standardized Protocol - Folliard SA, Gabbert JL, Rumbaugh K, Thompson CM, Oleis C
- Frailty Assessment in the Burn Population: A Single Center Retrospective Review - Horrell EW, Mubang R, Folliard SA, Beyene R, Gondek S, Thompson CM
- Smoking on Home Oxygen and Burn Related Injuries. A Single Center Experience - Mubang R, Horrell EW, Folliard SA, Beyene R, Gondek S, Thompson CM
- Safety and feasibility of using acellular sterile filtered amniotic fluid as a treatment for patients with COVID-19: protocol for a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial - Tonna JE, Pierce J, Hatton N, Lewis G, Phillips JD, Messina A, Skidmore CR, Taylor K, Selzman CH
- A pilot trial of human amniotic fluid for the treatment of COVID-19 - Selzman CH, Tonna JE, Pierce J, Vargas C, Skidmore C, Lewis G, Hatton ND, Phillips JD
- Amnion membrane allografts in a critically ill infant with Netherton syndrome-like phenotype - Frigerio A, Bleicher J, Pierce J, Reems J, Vanderhooft SL, Lewis G
The Burn Surgery Fellowship Program follows all institutional policies as outlined by the University of Utah GME Office, including those pertaining to salary, leave, program responsibilities, and more. To see current university policies, visit the GME policy website.
ROTATION INFORMATION
Clinical rotations are designed to give fellows a broad understanding of the various areas related to burn surgery. During clinical rotations fellows evaluate new patients and manage patients under treatment, including the simulation and treatment planning, acting as junior attendings. Learn more below!
- U of U Hospital Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit (9 months)
- U of U Hospital Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (1 month)
- U of U Hospital Anesthesiology (1 month)
- Primary Children's Medical Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (1 month)
OUTPATIENT CLINIC
While on the burn service, fellows spend Monday afternoons in the General Burn Outpatient Clinic where they see a range of non-admitted new burn patients and discharged burn patients, as well as Thursday mornings in the Attending Clinic where they see complex post-discharge burn patients and conduct scar evaluations and management. This outpatient clinic experience is a crucial component of the fellowship, allowing fellows to follow up with burn patients after their initial hospitalization, monitor their progress, provide ongoing care, and address any complications or concerns. Fellows can further refine their clinical skills, develop effective communication and patient counseling abilities, and gain a deeper understanding of the long-term management of burn patients.
LASER CLINIC
While on the burn service, fellows spend Tuesdays in the Laser Clinic (as available) after the first 6 months of fellowship.
INPATIENT
While on the burn service, fellows spend Monday mornings, Tuesdays (for the first 6 months of fellowship at least), Thursday afternoons, and alternating Fridays on the inpatient service.
CALL
Fellows will be expected to take at-home call twice a week - every Tuesday evening and alternating Thursday evenings/Saturdays.
APPLY TO THE PROGRAM
To be eligible for the one-year Burn Surgery Fellowship, an applicant must have completed at least three clinical years in an ACGME accredited residency program, an American Osteopathic Association approved residency program, a program with ACGME International Advanced Specialty Accreditation, or a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada accredited or College of Family Physicians of Canada accredited residency program located in Canada in general surgery or plastic surgery prior to start date.
Additionally, the fellow must meet all the requirements contained in the “Eligibility and Credentialing of House staff” Policy of the University of Utah Office of Graduate Medical Education, including:
- Being eligible for and obtaining a license to practice medicine in the state of Utah.
- Completion of all United States Medical Licensing Examination examinations.
- Graduation from a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
OR
- Graduation from a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the AOA OR
- Graduation from a medical school outside of the United States and meets one or more of the following qualifications:
- Has a currently valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certificate OR
- Has a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in U.S. licensing jurisdictions OR
- Is a graduate of a medical school outside of the United States and has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME accredited medical school
- Passing a criminal background check
- Compliance with the Health Sciences Center Drug Testing
Eligible applicants must apply by submitting application materials to the program manager via email at tonya.pickron@hsc.utah.edu.
Applications are reviewed by the program director and selected applicants are invited to interview. Applicants are then evaluated on their standing within their residency program, educational qualifications, academic productivity (grants, publications, degrees, and experience), interview evaluation, and letters of recommendation. Selected fellows are sent an offer letter.
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED INFORMATION:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal statement
- USMLE and ABSITE scores
- Names and contact information for three individuals who can provide letters of recommendation
Also, under Important Dates please change to We are currently accepting applications via email to tonya.pickron@hsc.utah.edu for a position beginning August 2026.
OUR FELLOWS
2023-2024
Samantha Lahey, MD
Current Practice: University of Utah, UT
2022-2023
Ariel Rodgers, MD
Current Practice: University of Utah, UT
2020-2021
Samuel South, MD
Current Practice: UC Health, CO
FACULTY
- Giavonni Lewis, MD, FACS
- Irma Fleming, MD
- Callie Thompson, MD, FACS
- Christopher LaChapelle, MD, DPT
- Larissa A. Epstein, MD, MBA
CONNECT WITH US
Giavonni Lewis, MD, FACS, Program Director
Learn more about Dr. Lewis
Tonya Pickron, MEd, BA, Program Manager
tonya.pickron@hsc.utah.edu