Recipient of the Stanford International Exchange Fellowship
Myself, Dr. Nilesh K Patil completed my graduation from BJ Medical College, Pune, India in 2001. The ability to use my knowledge of anatomy along with form, function and relationships to diagnose pathologies and help relieve pain appealed greatly to me, which has been the major stimulating factor to choose orthopedics as specialty. I completed my residency training from the prestigious KEM Hospital Mumbai, India in 2005. The orthopedic rotations in various subspecialties during my residency reinforced my desire to pursue a career in Adult Reconstructive Surgery. I heard about the International Fellowship in Total Joint Replacement at Stanford Medical Center when I was working in a joint replacement department in India and looking forward to broadening my orthopedic horizons.
Dr. Mow and Dr. Maloney enrolled me for the esteemed fellowship program following an interview in Hong Kong. No words could express my desire to work and learn from some of the best joint replacement surgeons in the world. After settling in, I realized that I would be learning more than I expected and the work that was being done here was remarkable. In this program, I had a marvelous opportunity to work with Drs. Mow, Goodman and Maloney.
My anxiety at the commencement of the fellowship was palpable, but Dr. Mow and the staff at Stanford Medical Center made me feel at home and helped me in every possible way they could. It has indeed been a gratifying experience working with Dr. Mow and learning some state of the art techniques in joint replacement surgery. It was extremely educational with Drs. Mow and Goodman sharing their years experience and guiding me on the do’s and don’ts, protocols, and various aspects of patient care in joint replacement surgery. During my 18 months of fellowship, I scrubbed in more than 200 joint replacement surgeries. I was offered ample opportunity and guidance to hone my surgical skills. Research plays a very important role in the efforts of the orthopedic community to improve patient care. This fellowship has also helped me enhance my research and academic background through my involvement in various research projects. Last but not least, attendance at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting and AAOS Arthroscopic Course, during the fellowship period, was extremely educational.
No words can express my gratitude to ASIAM for lending their support and making this fellowship program a success. I am confident that the knowledge, experience, and skills that I have gained from this fellowship will help me excel in the practice of orthopedics and help me make a useful contribution in the field of Orthopedic Surgery in my home country, India. Thanks to ASIAM again for this wonderful professional and personal experience.