Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship

• Expose fellows to a wide range of clinical, surgical, and field experiences

• Provide fellows with scholarly activity opportunities to foster their growth in clinical skills and tools to innovate in the field of sports medicine and orthopaedics

• Share the collective knowledge of practicing sports medicine physicians and encourage them to do likewise

• Provide fellows with hypothesis-based research opportunities, working with faculty who are leaders in the field of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Research

• Provide multidisciplinary sports medicine experience introducing the fellows to a collaborative sports medicine “Team” model

• Provide the fellows with clinical experiences within multiple practice models

Clinical Experience

This fellowship is structured to offer a well-rounded education through exposure to various practice settings. With two clinical sites—Children’s Health Andrews Institute Plano (CHAI) and Plano Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Center (POSMC)—the program provides comprehensive training in pediatric, adolescent, and adult sports medicine, covering a diverse range of cases from routine to complex. Fellows will gain significant experience in the core areas of sports medicine surgery, including knee, shoulder, and elbow procedures, while also receiving advanced training in the management of hip disorders. Fellows will rotate through the clinic, operating room, and field coverage alongside faculty members. Many faculty perform advanced surgical procedures that occasionally require inpatient care, providing fellows with hands-on exposure to complex cases during their rotations.

The fellow will rotate through the two clinic sites every two months. Fellows work one-on-one with assigned faculty members in all aspects of patient care:

Outpatient Clinic: 2 days/ week
Surgical Cases: 2-3 days/ week
Research/Administrative: minimum ½ day/week
Outreach: on average ½ - 1 day per week

Didactics

Weekly: Didactic Lectures
Monthly: Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
Quarterly: Lecture Series, Cadaver Labs
Other: Society and industry sponsors educational courses

Fellows will be provided at minimum one half day for research activities. The fellow will be required to participate in clinical-based research. They will be integrated into ongoing efforts of the program’s faculty engaged in research. The fellow will be expected to submit at least one manuscript with the opportunity for additional research work as desired.

Fellow research participation will be monitored with weekly research meeting with the Director of Research.

Outreach

Outreach is a key component of the fellowship, preparing fellows to actively contribute to the care of their local communities upon entering practice. Fellows are expected to provide sideline coverage for a local high school football team during the late summer and fall each year. They will serve as the primary point of contact for more advanced care for athletes, under appropriate supervision from faculty. Additionally, fellows will have opportunities to work with athletes from various levels, including professional MLS soccer (FC Dallas), minor league baseball (Frisco Rough Riders), as well as college, high school, and recreational athletes outside the educational system.

On-Call Responsibilities

There is no call responsibilities.

• Salary: starting at $80,000

• Benefits include medical, dental, and health insurance options. Options for additional coverages (disability, hospitalization, life) and/or dependent coverage is available

• Professional liability insurance is provided at not cost to the fellow

• Parental time, sick time, and leaves of absence are permitted as required by ACGME and Federal Law

• The program allows for doctor’s appointments, bereavement, Jury Duty, mental health appointment

J. Lee Pace, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon
Program Director

J. Lee Pace, MD is an orthopedic surgeon at Children's Health Andrews Institute for Orthopedic & Sports Medicine. He specializes in minimally invasive procedures as well as complex reconstructive surgery for orthopedic and sports injuries in adult and pediatric patients. Dr. Pace’s practice is mostly focused on sports knee and complex knee injuries. He is an international expert in patellofemoral instability and performs the highest volume of trochleoplasty procedures in the nation. In addition to his patellofemoral interests Dr. Pace performs other unique surgical procedures such as meniscus transplantation, primary anterior cruciate ligament repair, multi-ligament reconstruction, advanced cartilage restoration and osteotomies about the knee. Dr. Pace also provides surgical and non-surgical treatment for a broad scope of shoulder, elbow, and other sports-related issues. His current research interests include advanced imaging analysis of trochlear dysplasia and clinical outcomes after patellar stabilization surgery, ACL reconstruction and meniscus transplantation. Dr. Pace is the recipient of numerous awards, including Super Doctor, Rising Star and Top Doctor recognition with 80+ scientific publications and 250+ scientific presentations and invited lectures. He is a member of multiple professional national and international societies and is a founding member and steering committee chair for the MEniscus Replacement, Conversation REpair (MERCuRE, pronounced "Mercury") Study Group (www.mercuregroup.org). Dr. Pace is currently a team physician for the FC Dallas professional soccer team as well as the head team physician for multiple local high schools.

Dr. Pace graduated magna cum laude with alpha omega alpha (AOA) honors from Boston University School of Medicine and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.  He completed two fellowships after residency.  The first fellowship was the pediatric orthopedics fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and his second fellowship was the sports medicine fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Pace is married with four children and spends his spare time as a free Uber driver while he and his wife shuttle their kids around to all their activities.

Michael Howard, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon
Site Director

Michael S. Howard, M.D. joined Plano Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center in January 2017 and is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship trained in surgery of the upper extremity. Dr. Howard specializes in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and elbow, reverse shoulder replacements, rotator cuff repairs, fractures, as well as conditions affecting the ligaments and tendons of the upper extremity. He also has a clinical interest and background working with sports-related injuries and arthritis of the upper extremity.

Dr. Michael Howard joined Plano Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center after serving in the United States Air Force and practicing in Knoxville, TN. He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Mount Carmel Medical Center in Columbus, OH. Dr. Howard then completed a fellowship in upper extremity and hand surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.

Dr. Howard served in Afghanistan and was the chief upper extremity specialist and director of orthopedic medical education at Travis Air Force Base in California. He has served as a team consultant for high school and collegiate athletes. He has continued to advance the field of orthopedics through research. His publications include book chapters, presentations and multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dustin Loveland, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon
Chief of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Dustin Loveland, M.D. is the Surgical Director and Chief at the Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. He specializes in arthroscopic and minimally invasive surgical management of sports injuries and fractures. He is dual board certified in general orthopedics and sports medicine.

A native of Dallas, Dr. Loveland earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He completed his orthopedic surgical residency at the University of Miami, where he served as Chief Resident. He then trained as a sports medicine fellow with the world-renowned surgeon James Andrews, M.D., founder and namesake of the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Loveland serves in leadership roles within the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). Dr. Loveland has served as an Associate Team Physician for the University of Miami and Auburn University football teams.

Dr. Loveland continues to focus time on various research pursuits, including cartilage restoration and development of a novel anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)reconstruction registry. He has authored book chapters and multiple peer reviewed articles and has presented his research at national and international meetings.

John Roaten, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon

John Roaten, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Children’s Health℠ Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. He specializes in arthroscopy of the knee, shoulder, hip, ankle and elbow, performing reconstructive surgeries for a wide range of sports injuries. He is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Roaten earned his medical degree at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and completed his residency at Texas Tech University. He subsequently completed two separate fellowships, the first in pediatric orthopedics at The Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee and then sports medicine surgical fellowship at Harvard University at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Roaten is a member of Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM), the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA), and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). He has served as a team physician for multiple sports, from high school football to collegiate hockey.

His main interests are comprehensive knee surgery, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in both young children and adults, treatment of meniscus injuries and cartilage restoration procedures. He specializes in shoulder arthroscopy for labral tears associated with dislocations and instability, as well as hip arthroscopy for the treatment of labral tears and impingement. Other areas he is well-versed in are ankle and elbow arthroscopy.

Dr. Roaten has authored multiple research articles in sports and pediatric orthopedics, contributed to medical textbooks and presented research at national meetings. Special research interests are knee ligament surgery and cartilage restoration procedures for osteochondritis dissecans.

J. Richard Evanson, DO

Orthopaedic Surgeon

J Richard Evanson, D.O., a native of Colorado, graduated from Brigham Young University, Provo UT with degrees in Spanish and Chemistry in 2004 before attending Medical School at A.T. Still University of Health Science, Kirksville MO. where he received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 2008. Dr. Evanson completed an orthopedic military residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in 2013. He then served as an Army orthopedic surgeon at Fort Benning, Ga. until 2017. During that time, he deployed in 2014 as the chief orthopedic surgeon supporting military soldiers in Kuwait. After concluding his commitment to the Army, he completed a fellowship at Duke University in Hip Preservation and Reconstruction under Steven A. Olson MD.

Dr. Evanson focuses primarily on hip and knee surgery and specializes in using less invasive surgical techniques. He offers hip joint replacement surgery using the direct anterior approach, helping patients recover faster while minimizing pain. Dr. Evanson also specializes in hip arthroscopy, pelvic osteotomies and other hip joint preservation surgeries to help patients maintain their normal joints and active lifestyle.

Dr. Evanson is actively involved in research and has been honored as a scientific presenter at national meetings, published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals, co-authored a book chapter, and won several research awards.

Locations

Children’s Health Andrews Institute 7211 Preston Rd. Plano, TX 75024 

This will be the primary clinic site for the fellows. Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Clinic - CHAI Plano will incorporate pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients from the DFW metroplex, as well as professional athletes and high-level adolescent athletes. CHAI is comprised of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine, sports concussion, sports rehabilitation, behavioral health, sports performance and nutrition, outreach, and research. CHAI is an outpatient clinic for pre, post, and non-operative care for athletes/patients with acute, chronic, and complex orthopaedic injuries. Clinic volume will be between 30-40 patients per clinic day, with clinic days being 2 to 2.5 days per week. The fellow will be exposed to standard and complex knee and shoulder sports medicine cases. Faculty member at this site with be Drs. Pace, Loveland, and Roaten 

Plano Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center  

5228 W. Plano Pkwy, Plano, TX 75093 

Plano Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center (POSMC) is a high-volume, well-established community orthopedic and sports medicine practice. POSMC will be the site where the fellow will see patients on an outpatient basis for pre, post, and non-operative clinical care. While on the POSMC rotation, the fellow will be in clinic generally two days a week. Here the fellow will get exposure to standard knee and shoulder sports medicine cases but will also be exposed to a broad range of hip pathology as well as complex upper extremity diagnosis. The clinic volume will range from 30-60 patients a day. The primary faculty here will be Drs. Howard and Evanson.

Live Oak Surgery Center
Outpatient Surgery  

7211 Preston Rd. Suite 2100 Plano, TX 75024

Live Oak Surgery Center (LOSC) will be the primary surgical site while the fellow is on rotation at CHAI. The fellow will be exposed to mostly adolescent sports operative cases. 60-70% of these cases will be knee cases but the fellow will get exposure to shoulder and hip cases with regularity and to a lesser extend elbow and ankle cases. There will also be some adult cases as well as complex knee reconstruction cases. The fellow will typically see 3-4 cases per operative day here but some days it can be as high as 5-6. The fellow will be in the LOSC OR at least twice a week while on rotation at CHAI. The primary faculty here will be Drs. Pace, Roaten, and Loveland.

Children's Health - Children's Medical Center at Legacy Main OR
Outpatient/Inpatient Surgery

7601 Preston Rd. Plano, TX 75024 

Children’s Health – Children’s Medical Center at Legacy will serve a similar set of operative cases as Live Oak Surgery Center. The experience will be almost exclusively operative adolescent sports medicine cases. The variety will range from routine outpatient cases to complex reconstructive cases that require an inpatient stay. The fellow will operate 1-2 times per month while on the CHAI rotation. This location will also have some exposure to pediatric orthopedic trauma cases which the fellow can participate in if desired. The primary faculty will be Drs. Pace, Roaten, and Loveland.

Texas Health Surgery Center - Preston Plaza
Outpatient Surgery

17950 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75252 

Texas Health Preston Plaza Surgery Center is one of three surgical sites for Plano Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center (POSMC) rotation. The fellow will be exposed to a broad range of outpatient cases here that will cover the hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder. The primary faculty here will be Drs. Howard and Evanson.

Legent Orthopedic Hospital Carrollton
Outpatient/Inpatient Surgery

1401 E. Trinity Mls. Rd, Carrollton, TX 75006

Legent Orthopedic Hospital Carrollton is one of three surgical sites for the POSMC rotation. The fellow will be exposed to a broad range of outpatient cases here that will cover the hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder. Cases will range from standard to complex and there will typically be 3-6 cases per operative day here. The fellow will spend one-two days per week in the operating room here. The primary faculty will be Drs. Howard, and Evanson.

Legent Outpatient Surgery Frisco
Outpatient Surgery

8350 Dallas Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034

Legent Outpatient Surgery Frisco is one of three sites for POSMC rotation. The fellow will be exposed to a broad range of outpatient cases here that will cover the hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder. Cases will range from standard to complex and there will be 3-6 cases per operative day here. The fellow will spend two to three days per week in the operating room here. The primary faculty will be Drs. Howard and Evanson.

Olubusola Brimmo, MD
2023 - 2024

Saygin Kamaci, MD
2024 - 2025

Application Information

Our fellowship program participated in the SF Matching Program. For information on application, deadlines, and interview dates, visit https://sfmatch.org/.

Interview dates vary each year by region and can be found on the AOSSM website.

ACGME Program Number: 2684826001

SF Match Program ID: PR10284

Deadline: November 30, 2025

Interviews: February 19, 2026

Contact

Program Coordinator: Sarah Brackens, ATC, LAT

Phone: 469-303-3000

Email: sarah.brackens@childrens.com

Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowhship
Children’s Health Andrews Institute
7211 Preston Rd. Suite 1200
Plano, TX 75024