Texas Children’s Hospital announces the establishment of a pediatric surgery fellowship program for physician assistants, making the program the first of its kind in the country. The fellowship is a 12-month didactic and clinical program designed to extensively train physician assistants to become leaders in all areas of pediatric surgery. For more information on Texas Children’s pediatric surgical fellowship, visit texaschildrens.org/surgerypafellow.

Texas Children’s fellowship program differs from all other surgical physician assistant programs as it will provide a unique opportunity for the fellow to gain hands-on experience among the full spectrum of pediatric surgical subspecialties including: cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, general surgery, urology, otolaryngology, dental, plastic and craniofacial surgery, as well as trauma services.

The one-year program includes nine months of clinical pediatric surgical subspecialty experience and one month of basic laboratory research. The fellow will then be able to elect which surgical division they would like to focus their training on for the remaining two months of the program.

“Training will be provided in clinics, on the surgical floors, in research and in the operating rooms,” said Dr. Larry Hollier, pediatric surgery physician assistant fellowship medical director. “Fellows will be exposed to advanced surgical training that will provide them with the experience necessary to practice in a wide variety of pediatric surgical subspecialties and clinical settings both in an academic, as well as private practice system. The knowledge and opportunity this program offers is unlike any other program in the world.”

The team leading this program includes Hollier, also chief of plastic surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital, Ryan Krasnosky, PA-C serves as program director and Brenda J. Davis is fellowship coordinator.

Four fellows will be appointed the first year with growth sought in subsequent years.