Salary is set by the Houston Methodist GME scale (not stated for this fellowship on the programme page); the NASS directory lists a US$64,565 stipend
Deadline
Not published
Duration
1 year
Hands-on
Unclear — confirm privileges
Latest source audit
3 Oct 2026
Duration · published1 year
Clinical exposureOcciput-to-sacrum training for orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons with rotations in cervical and lumbar degenerative disease, adult and paediatric deformity, spinal column trauma and spinal column and cord tumours, plus pain management, across Houston-area sites; procedures include microdiscectomy, ACDF, TLIF, transthoracic and retroperitoneal corpectomy, en bloc spondylectomy, direct lateral and anterior psoas reconstruction and ALIF
Funding · publishedSalary is set by the Houston Methodist GME scale (not stated for this fellowship on the programme page); the NASS directory lists a US$64,565 stipend
DestinationUnited States
Participation levelClinical participation and hands-on restrictions must be confirmed directly with the host.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
What the official evidence currently supports
Decision-critical fields are separated into confirmed facts, partial information and points requiring direct confirmation.
≈Partially published
International applicant eligibility
The programme page accepts foreign medical graduates only with a current ECFMG certificate and permanent residence or J-1 eligibility; the NASS directory instead requires US citizenship or permanent residence.
✓Published by official source
Required training level
Completed an ACGME-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency · Graduate of an LCME- or AOA-accredited school, or a foreign medical graduate with a current ECFMG certificate before appointment, or Fifth Pathway · Texas physician-in-training permit or full Texas medical licence before training · Three letters of recommendation · Pass nicotine and drug screening and a criminal background check
✓Published by official source
Programme classification
Clinical or combined training pathway; exact duties remain appointment-specific.
?Confirm directly with host
Hands-on restrictions
Hands-on participation and operative restrictions are not explicitly published.
≈Partially published
Medical registration
Applicants must be licensable in Texas and obtain a physician-in-training permit or a full Texas licence before starting.
?Confirm directly with host
Licensing examinations
Any examination requirement must be confirmed with the relevant regulator and host.
—Not published
Language requirements
No formal language requirement is published by the cited source.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
Programme page: permanent resident status or J-1 visa eligibility for non-US citizens. NASS directory: US citizen or permanent resident.
✓Published by official source
Funding availability
Salary is set by the Houston Methodist GME scale (not stated for this fellowship on the programme page); the NASS directory lists a US$64,565 stipend
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
72% of core application fields verified
Checked 3 Oct 2026. Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-04-01. Every unresolved field keeps its exact evidence state—unpublished, not yet researched, historical, conflicting, inaccessible or not applicable—so an absence is never converted into a fact.
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ funding✓ eligibility✓ registration✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified faculty photograph✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— positions · not published by the cited official source— commencement / intake · queued for source review— benefits · queued for source review— accommodation / relocation · queued for source review— international eligibility · official sources conflict— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— visa / work authorisation · official sources conflict— Current deadline not yet published · not published by the cited official source
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineNo current deadline published in the cited evidence
Commencing dateIntake date not published
Application route / cycleApply through the Spine Fellowship Match administered by SF Match. 2026–2027 NASS Spine Fellowship Match through SF Match: applicant registration opened 3 August 2026, interviews run 30 November 2026–19 March 2027 and rank lists are due 6 April 2027 (match day 13 April 2027, training from August 2028).
Deadlines and intake dates can change between cycles. The data-quality ledger above explicitly labels application fields that the cited official source does not publish.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
Published entry requirements
Clinical / academic eligibility
Completed an ACGME-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency
Graduate of an LCME- or AOA-accredited school, or a foreign medical graduate with a current ECFMG certificate before appointment, or Fifth Pathway
Texas physician-in-training permit or full Texas medical licence before training
Three letters of recommendation
Pass nicotine and drug screening and a criminal background check
Registration, licence & examinations
Applicants must be licensable in Texas and obtain a physician-in-training permit or a full Texas licence before starting.
Visa / work authorisation
Programme page: permanent resident status or J-1 visa eligibility for non-US citizens. NASS directory: US citizen or permanent resident.
Application documents
Completed Match application
Personal statement
Wallet-sized colour photograph
USMLE transcript
ECFMG status report (international medical graduates only)
Three letters of recommendation, including one from the current programme director
Licensing, visa and document rules depend on the individual programme and application cycle. OrthoFellow does not infer USMLE, AHPRA, ECFMG, recommendation-letter or visa requirements from the country alone.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
A one-year Houston Methodist spine fellowship for orthopaedic surgeons covering degenerative, deformity, trauma and tumour surgery from occiput to sacrum, matched through SF Match; visa rules differ between the programme page and the NASS directory.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine / Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine runs one of the largest orthopaedic programmes in the US; the spine fellowship rotates fellows with pain specialists, neurosurgeons and orthopaedic spine surgeons across Houston.
Mark L. Prasarn is listed in the cited programme evidence as program director for Houston Methodist Spine Surgery Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Mark L. Prasarn is listed by the official programme source as program director. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Darrell S. Hanson is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Houston Methodist Spine Surgery Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Darrell S. Hanson is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Jeffrey Ratusznik is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Houston Methodist Spine Surgery Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Jeffrey Ratusznik is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Names and fellowship roles come from the cited programme source. A green “individual profile verified” label means the position, qualifications and biography were also checked against an official personal or institutional profile. OrthoFellow displays a portrait only when it can be tied to an official profile or faculty source; otherwise the host institution brandmark is shown, with initials retained only when neither image is available. Faculty rosters may change.
APPLICANT PROFILE
Graduates of an ACGME-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency
◎
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
Published international eligibility information
The programme page accepts foreign medical graduates only with a current ECFMG certificate and permanent residence or J-1 eligibility; the NASS directory instead requires US citizenship or permanent residence.
This note is shown only when the official source publishes information relevant to overseas applicants. Applicants should confirm licensing and visa eligibility directly with the host.
