Letter from the Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the University of Massachusetts Hand Fellowship program. We offer an ACGME accredited one-year program with 1 fellow per year.

The goal of the University of Massachusetts Hand Fellowship program is to provide a comprehensive learning experience in the field of hand surgery.  We aim to achieve this through the management of complex traumatic upper extremity injuries, reconstructive upper extremity surgery, including congenital and rheumatologic conditions, and surgical and non-surgical management of upper extremity dysfunction. Our fellows participate in a wide range of clinical experiences in surgical and office-based settings. The University of Massachusetts is a Level I Trauma Center, with an active orthopedic residency.

Our faculty includes hand fellowship-trained surgeons with backgrounds in both orthopedic and plastic surgery. This combined orthopedics/plastics approach affords our fellows a diversity of hand surgery experience and broadens the scope of education.

We have an active Hand Research Group including faculty, fellows, residents, medical students and staff.  We offer experiences in outcomes research, clinical trials and basic science. The UMass orthopedic department has a well-developed research program with expert faculty in clinical and basic science research. Our experienced faculty and staff offer support to our Hand Fellows in methodology, research design, and data analysis.  This helps to ensure that you will have a meaningful and productive research experience during your fellowship year.

I am very excited to have established a “Preparation for Practice” curriculum.  This innovative program capitalizes on the wealth of expertise both within the University of Massachusetts and the Worcester area to educate our fellows in topics beyond hand surgery.  We have identified experts to give seminars in topics pertinent to medical practice such as contract negotiation, malpractice, disability insurance, coding and billing, changes in health care (e.g. ACA, Sunshine Act, PQRI) and personal finance/debt.

We are proud to offer a dynamic clinical and academic program in Hand Surgery at the University of Massachusetts.  I am happy to answer any of your questions and look forward to hearing from you.

We encourage you take a few minutes to look at our website and learn more about our program. Please contact Michelle Auger, Fellowship Program Coordinator at 774-442-4262 or michelle.auger@umassmed.edu with questions or additional information. 

Marci Jones, M.D.
Director, Hand Surgery Fellowship