Paid at the PGY-6 level, $68,500 (NASS directory figure). The 2025–26 policy manual says fellow stipends are set each year under the UMN GME base-stipend schedule and gives no figure.
Deadline
Not published
Duration
Twelve months (one year)
Hands-on
Unclear — confirm privileges
Latest source audit
3 Oct 2026
Duration · publishedTwelve months (one year)
Clinical exposurePediatric and adult cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and pelvic surgery at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center (two campuses), covering degenerative, deformity, extradural tumour, infection and fracture disorders. Procedures include navigated and percutaneous pedicle screw fixation, PSO and VCR osteotomies, pelvic and SI joint fixation, TLIF/TTIF/LLIF/OLIF/ALIF, tubular decompression, ACDF, cervical arthroplasty and laminoplasty, with O-arm, robotic guidance and neuromonitoring; previous fellows logged more than 250 (brochure: more than 500) cases. NASS reports roughly 65% operative and 35% non-operative care.
Funding · publishedPaid at the PGY-6 level, $68,500 (NASS directory figure). The 2025–26 policy manual says fellow stipends are set each year under the UMN GME base-stipend schedule and gives no figure.
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
Foreign national trainees: the department sponsors only the ECFMG-sponsored J-1 visa and does not sponsor H-1B (2025–26 policy manual). Applicants must also be board eligible in US orthopaedic or neurological surgery and licensable in Minnesota.
✓Published by official source
Required training level
Board eligible in either orthopedic surgery or neurological surgery · Eligible for unrestricted licensure as a physician/surgeon in the state of Minnesota · Must maintain an active, unrestricted Minnesota physician license during the fellowship (policy manual)
✓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
Unrestricted Minnesota physician/surgeon license (the programme pays for initial licensure)
?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
J-1 (ECFMG-sponsored) only; H-1B not sponsored
✓Published by official source
Funding availability
Paid at the PGY-6 level, $68,500 (NASS directory figure). The 2025–26 policy manual says fellow stipends are set each year under the UMN GME base-stipend schedule and gives no figure.
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
79% 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✓ positions✓ funding✓ benefits✓ eligibility✓ international eligibility✓ registration✓ visa / work authorisation✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ verified faculty photograph✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— commencement / intake · historical evidence only— accommodation / relocation · queued for source review— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— Current deadline not yet published · not published by the cited official source— official contact · official sources conflict— Faculty information requires reverification · official sources conflict
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineNo current deadline published in the cited evidence
Commencing dateStart date for the 2027–2028 year is not published; the programme's case summary shows a previous fellow's service dates as July 6, 2020 – June 23, 2021
Application route / cycleAcademic year 2027–2028 via SF Match. Interviews (in person) January 23, 2026, with an evening social on January 22, 2026; rank lists due April 7, 2026, 12pm PT; match results April 14, 2026.
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
Board eligible in either orthopedic surgery or neurological surgery
Eligible for unrestricted licensure as a physician/surgeon in the state of Minnesota
Must maintain an active, unrestricted Minnesota physician license during the fellowship (policy manual)
Registration, licence & examinations
Unrestricted Minnesota physician/surgeon license (the programme pays for initial licensure)
Visa / work authorisation
J-1 (ECFMG-sponsored) only; H-1B not sponsored
Application documents
SF Match application
Three letters of recommendation
USMLE Step 1 transcript
USMLE Step 2 results (both parts)
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-position, twelve-month ACGME-accredited spine fellowship covering pediatric and adult spine surgery from the cervical spine to the pelvis, with heavy use of navigation and robotics. Fellows must complete at least one research project and present it at a local or national meeting.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
Medical, dental, life and disability insurance (NASS; manual lists health and dental, short- and long-term disability, and basic/voluntary/additional life cover). Fifteen personal days (PTO) per year; the brochure describes two weeks of paid personal time plus one week for professional-development conferences. The programme pays for initial Minnesota licensure.
Benefits may depend on appointment type, training level, visa status and the active academic year. OrthoFellow keeps stipend and benefits separate so a salary figure is not mistaken for the full package.
HOST INSTITUTION
About University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
The University of Minnesota Department of Orthopedic Surgery trains fellows at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, a quaternary referral centre for the upper Midwest.
Program Director; Associate ProfessorOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Fellowship supervisor / program leadership
Affiliation
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota
Clinical focus
Spine training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Jonathan Sembrano is listed in the cited programme evidence as program director; associate professor for Orthopedic Spine 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.
Jonathan Sembrano is listed by the official programme source as program director; associate professor. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Core Faculty (former programme director; Professor Emeritus)Official program roster
Current position
Teaching faculty / co-leadership
Affiliation
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota
Clinical focus
Spine training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
David W. Polly Jr. is listed in the cited programme evidence as core faculty (former programme director; professor emeritus) for Orthopedic Spine 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.
David W. Polly Jr. is listed by the official programme source as core faculty (former programme director; professor emeritus). A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota
Clinical focus
Spine training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Nathan Hendrickson is listed in the cited programme evidence as core faculty; assistant professor for Orthopedic Spine 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.
Nathan Hendrickson is listed by the official programme source as core faculty; assistant professor. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota
Clinical focus
Spine training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Christopher Martin is listed in the cited programme evidence as core faculty; associate professor for Orthopedic Spine 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.
Christopher Martin is listed by the official programme source as core faculty; associate professor. 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.
◎
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
Published international eligibility information
Foreign national trainees: the department sponsors only the ECFMG-sponsored J-1 visa and does not sponsor H-1B (2025–26 policy manual). Applicants must also be board eligible in US orthopaedic or neurological surgery and licensable in Minnesota.
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.
