Our Burn and Reconstruction Fellowship
Over the course of one year, The Ohio State University College of Medicine Burn and Reconstruction Fellowship is training our fellow to care for burn patients of every age through every stage of healing: the first hours of resuscitation through critical care, surgery, outpatient recovery and long-term scar reconstruction.
The program is for surgeons who have completed a general surgery or plastic surgery residency. It suits those who want advanced training in specialized burn care, patient outcomes and the leadership of a verified burn center.
At a glance
- Length: One year
- Positions: One fellow per year
- Training sites: TheOhio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital
- Eligibility: Completion of a general surgery or plastic surgery residency
- Program Director: Ariel Rodgers, MD, FACS
- Accreditation: Non-ACGME -accredited fellowship
Our fellowship faculty
Ariel Rodgers, MD
Program overview
Our goal is simple: To train surgeons who can care for burn patients of any age, from the first hours of resuscitation through full recovery and reconstruction.
Our fellow trains at The Ohio State Comprehensive Burn Center. It is the only adult burn center in central Ohio verified by the American Burn Association, and it is part of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and University Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center. We have approximately 400-450 burn admissions a year, not including the outpatient cases we treat. We treat thermal, electrical, chemical and inhalation injuries, along with frostbite and severe skin conditions. Our care continues after discharge through our outpatient burn clinic, our laser and reconstructive services and our nationally ranked rehabilitation services. Through our partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, our fellow also gains strong experience in pediatric burn care.
Burn care is a team effort. Our fellow works alongside surgeons, nurses, therapists, dietitians, psychologists and social workers who care for the whole patient. Our fellow also develops leadership skills through quality improvement initiatives, teaching and national presentations.
Our faculty members are dedicated educators who are invested in every fellow’s success.
We are excited to share our program with you, and hope you will consider joining our team.
-
Rotation Duration Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Burn Service Four months Nationwide Children's Burn Service (including Plastics and Hand) Two months Hand Surgery (Orthopedics/Plastics) One month Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (limb salvage) One month Surgical Intensive Care One month Palliative Care and Chronic Pain One month Anesthesia and Acute Pain One month Pediatric Intensive Care One month
-
- Lead burn resuscitations and the critical care of major burn injuries
- Plan, perform and manage acute and reconstructive operations
- Lead multidisciplinary burn conferences and family care conferences
- Teach medical students and surgical residents
- Complete a quality improvement project with outcome tracking
- Submit at least one abstract or manuscript, and attend a regional or national burn meeting
- Earn advanced burn life support (ABLS) certification
- Take part in burn prevention and community outreach
Graduation case targets include 125 burn and soft tissue operations, 25 complex reconstructions, 10 major resuscitations, 10 escharotomies, 10 inhalation injury cases, 10 end-of-life family discussions, 50 nonoperative burn patients and 200 outpatient visits.
-
After an orientation period, the fellow takes home first call about once a week, always with an on-call burn attending physician serving as their backup. Fellows receive three weeks of vacation. Moonlighting is not permitted.
-
- Adult and pediatric burn care in one year. You rotate at a major academic medical center and at one of the nation's leading children's hospitals.
- Reconstruction is part of the core training. You complete 25 complex reconstruction cases, including acute and reconstructive surgery for the hand and face, along with laser scar treatment.
- Whole-patient care. Rotations in palliative care, chronic and acute pain and in anesthesia prepare you to lead goals-of-care conversations. You also learn to support patients' functional and psychological recoveries.
- Strong outpatient experience. You see patients in weekly clinics at McCampbell Outpatient Care and at the Nationwide Children's Burn Clinic, plus a laser clinic every six weeks.
- Quality and leadership. You learn how a verified burn center runs, including case review, outcome tracking, billing and coding, and building a quality improvement program.
How to apply and requirements
-
The program is for surgeons who have completed a general surgery or plastic surgery residency.
This burn fellowship uses the ABA Common Application.
With the application, please include the following:
- Three letters of recommendation
- ABSITE scores or the equivalent
- USMLE Step scores
Each candidate interviews with at least two faculty members, and the full faculty selects the fellow together.
Contact
Lori Bardon
Program Manager, Acute Care Surgery Fellowship
Phone: 614-293-3185
Fax: 614-293-9155
lori.bardon@osumc.eduApplication deadline: Feb. 28, 2027