Welcome Letter from Program Director

Greetings! Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute Fellowship. As Fellowship Director, I’m proud to present our program for your consideration. The fellowship was first established in 2007 and it has grown tremendously over time! Currently, our fellowship is a one-year long program with an ACGME accredited Traditional Program (NRMP # 1552333F0) and an Osteopathic Program (NRMP# 1552333F1).  We strive to recruit top MD and DO candidates from multiple specialties (family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine).

In 2017, we were designated as a Sports Medicine Institute which led to significant faculty expansion and learning opportunities for our fellows. We currently have PCSM faculty who have trained within pediatrics, family medicine, emergency medicine, and PM&R. Fellows have the opportunity to learn from our unique mix of faculty while they are on the sidelines, at the bedside, and within the didactic setting. The faculty diversity has also allowed our fellows to gain exposure to an outstanding depth and breadth of patients and is one of the main strengths of our program.

Our MSK Ultrasound curriculum includes both formal didactics, cadaver lab workshops, and bedside teaching by AMSSM ultrasound faculty members. Fellows meet weekly for 2:1 ratio of fellows to faculty bedside ultrasound hand-on didactics. A portable US unit is available for fellows to check out and use for practice. Once a month, fellows have the opportunity to teach diagnostic ultrasound techniques to residents and medical students.  Procedural training with ultrasound includes diagnostic and interventional work with joint / soft tissue injections, ultrasound guided percutaneous tenotomy (Tenex, TenJet), and PRP.  Additional procedural training includes compartment pressure testing, osteopathic manipulation, and casting / splinting. Our fellows get a very hands-on experience and leave training with a wide variety of procedural skills.

Dr. Mary Solomon serves as our Director of Osteopathic Education. In this role, she oversees the osteopathic training of all fellows who match within the ACGME approved Osteopathic track. Dr. Solomon works with fellows within the clinic setting to teach the foundational Osteopathic Practices and Principles and help solidify manipulation skills within the setting of treating athletic injuries. She oversees the quarterly OMT didactics and serves as a mentor for all Osteopathic scholarly activity.

Fellows’ sports coverage opportunities are extensive and span across multiple age ranges. University Hospitals is the official health care partner of the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets AHL affiliated ice hockey team). Our PCSM and orthopedic faculty serve as the team physicians for both professional organizations. This affords our fellows the opportunity to gain exposure to working with professional athletes and the physicians who provide care for them. Fellows have the opportunity to oversee the care of professional athletes on the sidelines, within the clinic setting, and during training room coverage.

Our fellows have exposure to covering not only their own high school, but they also have extensive opportunities for caring for college athletes at NCAA schools. Fellows will serve an integral role in implementing and practicing Emergency Action Plans for their respective teams.  In addition to school-based athletics, fellows are involved in providing care at mass participation events such as the Cleveland Rite-Aid Marathon and the Cleveland Triathlon.

Beyond caring for sports teams, our faculty has gained a national reputation through their involvement in the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. As a result of our national organization involvement, we can provide our fellows with excellent opportunities for peer-reviewed publishing and opportunities for presenting at national meetings.

In June 2024, the Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute at Ahuja Medical Center opened. This innovative facility has centralized our primary care sports medicine, orthopedic sports medicine, physical / occupational therapy, musculoskeletal radiology, and T3 Performance all into a truly special suburban setting.

We thank you for taking the time to learn about the University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute Fellowship. We are proud of our faculty and the educational opportunities that our program provides. Please visit the “Application” tab for further information on the application process. You are always welcome to contact me at Susannah.briskin@uhhospitals.org or mary.solomon@uhhospitals.org  for further information.

Sincerely,

Susannah M. Briskin, MD
Program Director, University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute Fellowship