Testimonials

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My year at Anderson Orthopaedic Institute was everything I had hoped for and more. Like most fellowship applicants, I was hoping to go to a fellowship where I would have a robust anterior hip experience, do a high volume of UKAs, and be comfortable and capable doing any revision. All of this is possible at Anderson Orthopaedic Institute. You get primary and revision anterior hip experience both on and off the table, with and without navigation. You are given appropriate autonomy and you come out of here prepared to practice. When you come to Anderson, you become part of a large family that includes nearly 40 years of previous fellows. If you need help getting a job in academics or private practice, they will all help. If you have any questions about difficult cases, they are only a text or phone call away. Spending a year near DC provided endless opportunities for my family to explore and learn. I loved my time at Anderson Orthopaedic Institute and it was unquestionably the best year of my training. Joseph T. Nelson, MD Gilbert, AZ Fellowship Class 2020-2021

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The Anderson Clinic fellowship is an outstanding, well-rounded fellowship in a beautiful, friendly community. You will learn from outstanding mentors and be well-prepared to enter into any kind of orthopedic practice, whether it is academic, hospital, or private. I strongly believe in the mentorship model that the Anderson Clinic employs. You are able to spend three month blocks with one or two attendings, working closely in both the clinic and operating room. This allows you to really bond with them as mentors, pick their brains on difficult cases, and achieve a very high degree of graduated autonomy. Moreover, not only are each of the faculty astounding surgeons, but they are also phenomenal teachers and great people to model. Everyone is extremely friendly and willing to go out of their way for the betterment of your education. I can’t even count how many times I asked about a surgical technique or strategy, and the docs would take time in the OR to walk me through it or pull up old cases to show me how they’d approached a challenging scenario in the past. This also does not end when you graduate. In my first year in practice several times I’ve texted them with something particularly difficult and everyone has been incredibly helpful and responsive. There also are no other trainees, so you aren’t fighting for cases or missing out in any way. The focus is on your education. I also can’t say enough positive things about all the folks who make the clinic run as smoothly as it does, from Susan Sensi as the fellowship administrator, Susan Goss who runs the clinic, and Rob Hopper and his team in the research division. This place has it all – you will learn from world-class mentors, understand how to run a well-organized private practice, and learn how to efficiently conduct research in a private setting. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to pursue my fellowship at the Anderson Clinic. My year in Alexandria was without question the highlight of my orthopedic training. Jonathan Dattilo, MD Sarasota, FL Fellowship Class 2019-2020

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When I started looking into fellowships, Anderson Clinic was always mentioned as one of the top programs in the country. What seemed to separate Anderson from some of the others was the former fellows’ passion about their experience. When I interviewed, it was clear that they truly enjoyed their fellowship and gained a significant knowledge. The fellowship is a mentorship model which I feel is the best way to learn. You get to perform a wide variety of approaches and techniques. Despite having my fellowship during the year of COVID, I still was able to do over 500 cases. Having now started practice, I feel equipped to handle everything that is thrown at me. From a social standpoint, Alexandria is a great place to live. There is plenty to do in Alexandria and DC is easy to get to. Finally, you become close with the attendings to the point that you will not hesitate to contact them in the future if you have any questions about cases or need anything. Anderson clinic was billed to me as one of the top fellowship programs in the country and easily lived up to its lofty expectations. Brad Wills, MD Huntsville, AL Fellowship Class 2019-2020

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After interviewing at Anderson Clinic, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to participate in their fellowship program. I was fortunate enough that they felt the same way. You cannot go wrong with this fellowship. I enjoyed all aspects of the year. You are immediately treated as a peer upon your arrival. Each attending has their own method of running their practice and their operating room, which is priceless. You take tip and tricks from each surgeon and become a surgeon melting pot at the end of the year. You will get a wide variety of cases including difficult primaries and revisions. Not to mention, Alexandria and the surrounding Washington DC area is a great place to spend a year with your family. We never ran out of things to do with our time away from the hospital. If you’re looking for a fellowship where you are giving the tools and autonomy to provide your future patients with efficient, high quality joint replacements, Anderson Clinic is the place for you. I am forever indebted to Anderson Clinic, Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Andy, Dr. Fricka, Dr. Goyal and Dr. McAsey for providing me with the knowledge and skill that I use in my practice. Will Johnson, Jr., MD Jackson, MS Fellowship Class 2018-2019

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I cannot imagine a better training experience than I received at the Anderson Clinic. When evaluating fellowships, I was interested in finding a place where I could develop close, lasting relationships with mentors yet still gain experience in a wide variety of techniques and approaches. For these objectives, Anderson was truly perfect. The modified mentorship model – spending uninterrupted, dedicated time with each of the Anderson arthroplasty attendings – allowed me to learn their steps, understand the rationale behind their individual protocols (both in the OR and in clinic), and ultimately translate that into a practice of my own. Indeed, I have adopted different parts of each of the Anderson attendings’ practices and use those tricks/techniques on a daily basis. The weekly didactics expanded my knowledge base and prepared me to handle things that I didn’t see firsthand (which, frankly, was not much). The autonomy I was provided in the OR grew my confidence so that I was ready to hit the ground running on day 1 of solo practice. And learning practice management protocols (a highly, highly-underrated part of the Fellowship experience) from easily the most efficient practice I have ever seen has paid dividends for me already. All of that aside, being a Fellow at the Anderson clinic is just straight-up FUN. Whether it is cruising the Potomac on Dr. Andy’s boat, BS-ing with the PAs and OR staff, or making fun of Dr. Goyal’s wardrobe, it is genuinely exciting to go to work each day. The place prides itself on creating a “family environment”, and the extent to which they succeed is what separates the Anderson Clinic from every other top fellowship in the country. The ultimate goal of fellowship is to gain the technical skills, clinical knowledge, and hands-on experience to allow for a smooth, successful transition into clinical practice. With that in mind, my year at Anderson could not have been more fruitful – and still managed to be the most enjoyable period of my training experience. Matthew Kinney, MD Falls Church, VA Fellowship Class 2018-2019

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I am a strong believer that there is not a better fellowship in the country. My year at the Anderson Clinic was better than I could have ever hoped for. The depth and breadth of surgical experience that I gained has made me confident and competent as I head into my own practice. This fellowship is unique as the surgeons offer a graduated level of autonomy and each surgeon has a slightly different approach to challenging problems. This allows the fellows the opportunity to see many different ways to handle different situations and then the trainee can decide for themselves which lessons to take from each attending and implement those in their own way. Beyond the surgical experience the year spent in Alexandria was one of the best years for myself and my family. Spending time in the DC area was so much fun for my young family. The physician assistants, nurses and support staff all contribute to this amazing culture that make the Anderson Clinic a great place to spend a year of training. I simply could not imagine a fellowship that would be better than the experience offered at the Anderson Clinic. Blake Peterson, MD St. Joseph, MO Fellowship Class 2017-2018

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My year at the Anderson Clinic was the best year of my training. I believe that this fellowship is arguably the best in the country for what it offers. The surgical volume is impressive providing a good mix of primaries and revisions and through graduated autonomy it allows you to learn the techniques and then implement them to prepare you for your future practice as a joint specialist. The mix of experiences the fellows receive I think helps to separate this fellowship from others. You are exposed to multiple surgical environments to include inpatient and outpatient surgery at a hospital and a surgery center. The faculty perform uni-compartmental, bicompartmental, and total knees (XR, CR, CS/UC, PS) along with total hips with all approaches to include direct lateral and anterior, on and off the Hana table, while utilizing multiple different implant companies and techniques. This variety allows the fellows to decide for themselves based on experience what they want to adopt and gives them a superior foundation in arthroplasty having been exposed to all aspects prior to leaving. The fellowship along with the surgical training does an excellent job of preparing you for your future practice. They balance the surgical experience with an amazing clinic experience to teach you how to run a clinic/practice and prepare you for the variety of clinical situations you will encounter in the future. On top of the training, the people of the fellowship make it a great place to train. The faculty are easy to get along with and make it an enjoyable year but it really is all of the staff, from RNs and PAs to office manager and fellowship coordinator, that embrace you and support you through the fellowship process. There really is a family environment in the fellowship. I highly recommend the Anderson Clinic fellowship to any future applicants. Ryan Robertson, MD Richmond, VA Fellowship Class 2017-2018

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The year I spent in fellowship at the Anderson Clinic was one of the best years of my life. I looked forward to coming into the hospital every day. Everyone I worked with was so friendly and enjoyable to be around. I really could not have asked for a better community of people to work with for a year. Everyone from the physicians to the support staff worked together with the goal of excellent patient care. In terms of clinical and surgical experience, I also could not have asked for a better experience. Due to the efficiency of the OR, I was able to do a high volume of a wide variety of cases, as well as spend time in clinic and get involved with research. Every physician I worked with had a unique philosophy, surgical approach, and implant choice. This sounds like an exaggeration, but I cannot imagine how I could have had a better fellowship experience. I was involved in a large number of revisions, I learned minimally invasive surgery, gap balancing, measured resection, anterior approach on and off the table, posterior approach, and lateral approach. I became comfortable with a number of different implant systems from a variety of manufacturers. Clinic was an exceptional learning experience and the research support was phenomenal. I would highly recommend this fellowship to anyone interested in adult reconstruction. Nick Brown, MD Maywood, IL Fellowship Class 2016-2017

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I cannot say enough positive things about my experience at Anderson Clinic.  All of these testimonials are spot-on.  In both the clinic and the operating room, I was able to work side-by-side with some of the country’s foremost experts and thought leaders in hip and knee replacement surgery.  To be able to learn from all of their collective experience was incredible.  The independent thought process and decision making that they all encouraged helped me to gain a great deal of confidence.  The operative experience and diversity of cases is second to none.  There was no other fellowship that I interviewed at that offered an equal exposure to both the anterior and posterior approach for hip replacement.  Furthermore, the anterior hip was taught both using the specialized table and using a standard table.  This experience combined with a large percentage of partial knees, total knees, and complex revisions helped prepare me to manage any issue I may encounter in practice.  The weekly educational conferences were very valuable. The addition of Dr. Craig McAsey to the fellowship was fantastic.  Dr. McAsey is an extremely gifted surgeon and teacher.  Fellows at this program will benefit for years to come because of his presence. Aside from the faculty, the physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants, techs, research staff, and office staff are world-class.  Going to work every day was truly fun because of all of these wonderful people. I will be forever grateful for my time at the Anderson Clinic as it was both my most educational and most enjoyable year of training to date. Alex Tauchen, MD Chicago, IL Fellowship Class 2016-2017

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My year at the Anderson Clinic was, by far, the most rewarding year of my training. The surgical experience is exceptional, as each attending with whom you work is a leader in the field. Starting out in my first year of practice, I felt very well equipped to manage the entire spectrum of cases I’ve seen in my practice, from basic primary joint arthroplasty to very difficult primaries and complex revision cases. The support staff is excellent, and allows the fellows to focus their efforts on maximizing their education. Beyond the fellowship year itself, I know I can reach out to Drs. Engh, Hamilton, Fricka, and Goyal with any questions going forward, and I’m confident that they will continue to provide guidance and mentorship through the years. If given the opportunity, I would without hesitation choose the Anderson Clinic fellowship again. John Cody, MD Bethesda, Maryland Fellowship Class 2015-2016

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As a fellowship applicant, I was looking for mentorship from nationally respected surgeons, research opportunities, comradery, and a diverse, high volume arthroplasty experience.  I found all of these at the Anderson Clinic.  The experience exceeded my expectations. I found the fellowship to be a professional but fun environment.  The attending surgeons challenged the fellows to perform at their best while treating them with respect.  Teaching conferences and journal clubs were intellectually stimulating and contained pearls I practice with today.  I left the fellowship feeling confident and well prepared to establish my own high volume arthroplasty practice.  My goal has been to emulate my fellowship mentors both in and out of the OR, and this has served me well. Choosing this fellowship was one of the most rewarding decisions of my life.  Every fellow becomes part of the Anderson Clinic family, and that bond extends well beyond the fellowship year.  I still share cases with my attendings and classmates, stay in touch with office staff, and I look forward to seeing everyone at reunions.  This remains one of the premier arthroplasty fellowship experiences in the world. Ryan Koonce, MD Lone Tree, Colorado Fellowship Class 2013-2014

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My time at the Anderson Clinic was the best professional experience of my career to date. I remember interviewing for the match process at various fellowships around the country and returning home to my wife saying, “I hope to match at Anderson. I think those guys will actually care about me, it felt like a family.” The fellowship proved to ring true to my initial impression. Anderson Clinic is a family of surgeons, nurses, medical staff and fellows. They strive for excellence in patient care and the advancement of orthopaedic surgery, yet maintain a family oriented approach to the community of fellows they train. I will continue to attend and support the events of the fellowship throughout my career. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Brian Perkinson, MD Franklin, Tennessee Fellowship Class 2012-2013

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The year I spent at the Anderson Clinic for fellowship was the most valuable surgical and educational experience of my training.  The attending physicians allowed me to grow as a surgeon, both in the operating room and clinic. The Anderson Clinic staff is the most humble, kind and caring group I have worked with throughout my training and professional career. The attendings treat you as a junior partner and give you the autonomy to learn. The caseload that I experienced was vast. I learned multiple approaches for exposure in the knee and hip and obtained great confidence with the most complex primary and revision cases. There is a strong emphasis on the clinic and research as well. The clinic experience allowed me to learn how to diagnose patients appropriately and how to run an efficient office.  The research is at the center of the fellowship; it provided me with the basis to critically evaluate research, as well as my own patient outcomes.  The year at Anderson Clinic is an invaluable, all encompassing, and enjoyable experience. There is not a better fellowship in the country! Jared Roberts, MD Albany, New York Fellowship Class 2010-2011

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My training at the Anderson Clinic was comprehensive and balanced, preparing me well for a career in academics. When teaching my own residents, there is not a day that goes by that I am not echoing a pearl that was taught to me from one of my mentors from the clinic. I learned the importance of pre-operative planning ensuring that I was mentally ready and equipped for any possible scenario during surgery, especially in revisions. I received essential exposure in the clinical setting learning appropriate indications for surgery, understanding subtle characteristics in the recovery of post-op patients and seeing the importance of long term follow-up. Having a dedicated team and large patient database facilitates research. In the operating room, I was immediately given autonomy with constant and guided supervision instilling confidence with fundamentals as well as with the latest techniques. Most importantly, I learned that a successful surgery starts with listening and spending time with each patient. The group of joint surgeons at the Anderson Clinic has extensive experience, a wide range of talents and different approaches to surgery providing the fellow with a diverse set of skills. Each one of them is totally dedicated to teaching and always available. I was extremely fortunate to have learned from the current group as well as from Drs. Charlie and Jerry Engh. The fellowship year is only the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the clinic and alumni filled with camaraderie, collaboration and continued learning. A common statement amongst the fellows is, “the fellowship is the best year of my training! “ Francis Gonzales, MD San Diego, California Fellowship Class 2009-2010

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Simply stated, the Anderson Clinic Fellowship was the best professional year of my life. That’s saying a lot since I had previously been in a top orthopaedic residency and subsequently have had a rewarding professional career in academics and clinical practice. What motivated me to travel across the country from San Diego to Virginia, with my wife and two young children, when I could have played it safe and stayed out west at any number of great institutions? Was it the prestige of the program? The cutting edge reputation of the Enghs? The academic rigor and opportunity to do research? The high volume of surgery? The location? Yes, it was all those things, but what stands out most were the people. There are too many stories to tell, but my fellowship was now over 20 years ago and, to this day, I count among my best friends those that I met and worked with that one year.  I even feel a kindred spirit with fellows that came before and after me. So, I suppose, I am also saying the fellowship was a memorable personal experience. I have trained fellows my entire career and I think I have insight into what makes a good fellowship experience. I believe it boils down to a balance of gaining surgical technical skill while being able to assimilate the thoughtful nuance of caring for patients. The Anderson Clinic Fellowship does that better than any other. William Bugbee, MD La Jolla, California Fellowship Class 1994-1995

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Everyone experiences milestones in life that results in a significant impact on the remainder of your life. Some are tragic but others are filled with enlightenment. My fellowship year was a transformational year for me that impacted my career as a joint reconstruction specialist but also as a compassionate physician and as a man. Having the honor of working with Charlie and Jerry Engh for a year was the most powerful and enlightening time in my life. These are two wonderful gentleman, scholars and now very dear friends who influenced me in so many ways and not a day goes by that I don’t reflect on something that I learned or was touched by one of these two gentlemen. They have left an incredible legacy behind through their influence of a host of young men who are now able to provide life-changing surgical procedures on so many patients across the world as a result of their teachings. They have also shown us the great pleasure and value of engaging in research to continue to strive to refine and improve the art of arthroplasty. They have taught us the importance of attention to detail in order to maximize the chance for success and they have shown us great compassion for the individual patients that we serve and the power of the touch of the human hand. They live by what they preach and I am a blessed man for having had the opportunity to learn from them and to now have them as my friend.  Heartfelt thanks. Brian S. Parsley MD Houston, Texas Fellowship Class 1988-1989