October 29, 2019 - TCO
Twin Cities Orthopedics Announces Launch of Foot & Ankle Fellowship
Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) has launched its inaugural Foot and Ankle Fellowship Program, naming Dr. Will Engasser its first fellow.
Dr. Jeffrey Seybold serves as Director, leading an accomplished team of specialty surgeons: Dr. Chris Coetzee, Immediate Past President of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS); Dr. Bryan Den Hartog, Treasurer of AOFAS; and Dr. Patrick Ebeling, an active member of AOFAS.
This fellowship program was created in 2018 in order to underscore TCO’s leadership in the field of foot and ankle care and to provide an opportunity to further support education of this underrepresented specialty. The fellowship will act as a vehicle to advance skill training, promote the importance of research and education among its fellows, and give back to patients through exceptional research and care.
“We recognized a great need and opportunity to establish a fellowship program in order to help guide the next generation of foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon leaders,” said Dr. Seybold. “Our hope is that this experience will encourage our current and future fellows to continue to initiate and foster mentorships during their own careers, and to pass along the importance of education in increasing quality of care.”
Beyond gaining specific experience in the field, the fellowship embraces a focus on research through the publication of white papers, reviews and more.
“It’s unique for a private practice such as TCO to have such a robust research arm, but each of our foot and ankle fellowship leaders understands and values the academic component of our work, and we are excited to further develop our research through this fellowship program,” said Dr. Coetzee.
Meet Academic Fellow: Dr. Will Engasser
Dr. Engasser, an orthopedic surgeon, earned his medical degree from Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. During his one year fellowship program, Dr. Engasser will rotate working with and under TCO’s foot and ankle team to shadow, perform procedures with TCO guidance, develop his skills and conduct research on the field.
“It’s a great honor to have a chance to work under such a renowned team of orthopedic surgeons who are dedicated to the foot and ankle specialty,” said Dr. Engasser. “I am looking forward to learning from the team and contributing to this program.”
The Impact of the Fellowship
The fellowship team sees many opportunities for the program to advance care and treatment in the field. This includes improving procedures for total ankle replacement and using different hardware techniques to advance post-surgery weight-bearing activity to help patients start rehabilitation earlier and return to full strength faster.
“We are excited to begin this program and are fortunate to have a fellow in Dr. Engasser to join us on our inaugural journey,” said Dr. Den Hartog. “Ultimately, we are initiating this program to further improve procedures and results so people who experience foot and ankle issues can recover as quickly as possible and continue to enjoy the activities they love.”
Eyeing the Next Foot & Ankle Fellow
The fellowship has seen a significant jump in interest this year, with more than 25 candidates applying for the 2020-21 program.
“This fellowship has the potential to really grow and create an important legacy as our work continues,” says Dr. Ebeling. “It will be a fulfilling project to chart our progress as we continue to work with the future of foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons to help us discover better practices and care.”
About Twin Cities Orthopedics
Twin Cities Orthopedics is committed to providing world-class service. Their dedicated teams of physicians, specialty providers and care coordinators serve patients in clinic locations, walk-in orthopedic urgent care locations, and numerous other therapy and specialty care settings across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Regardless of the location, TCO delivers an exceptional patient experience, backed by decades of trusted orthopedic and sports medicine care.