One of the best fellowships available and the best experience in soft tissue knee surgery I have ever had the privilege of undertaking. I took this fellowship for 3 months in 2024/2025 having completed almost a year of fellowship already, and although my time was brief, this experience has transcended anything I could have imagined I would personally achieve.

In the space of just 3 months I completed 200 procedures with 83% as a first named surgeon and 20% independently. There is room not only for ample operating experience with mentorship but for independence and the ability to maximise your time here. Looking through my logbook I am most proud of the 62 soft tissue reconstruction procedures including 41 primary ACLs (split evenly between hamstring, quadriceps and patella tendon), 2 revision ACLs and even 13 multi-ligament surgery. I also prioritised my experience with osteotomy (10 cases) including a double level osteotomy I was able to perform independently by the end of my time here.

I have felt and seen my abilities grow with my logbook and under the careful supervision of my mentors whilst here – being able to confidently undertake multi-ligament surgery and complex soft tissue reconstruction and osteotomy by 10 weeks into this programme.

The rota has a heavy emphasis on operating which is perfect for the more senior fellow and the complexity is geared towards accommodating the fellow’s needs. The clinics are a reflection of the busy workload in the large department and secondary referrals and opinions also expose the fellow to complex decision making.

Jimmy Ng has been a mentor, teacher, friend and colleague to me all at once. As I look back at my logbook and my time in Nottingham, I am amazed by the effort, commitment to training and support that he has provided me – he has gone above and beyond to ensure that my time is well spent and is always useful for me. I truly thank him for all the guidance and patience he has shown me but also the informal talks, discussions and advice he has always imparted on me.

Tom Kurien has also been instrumental in my learning and his patience and dedication to his craft has been impressive. He also prioritised my learning opportunities whilst in theatre and clinics and working as his fellow has been my absolute pleasure.

Whilst at the unit, I was involved in database and research into longer term outcomes following multi-ligament surgery and the fellow can be expected to continue this and be involved in other projects and trials that the knee unit is running and a part of. I have also been invited to present at the 2^nd Annual East Midlands Knee Preservation Meeting and the networking opportunities with representatives of companies and firms-provided exclusively by this fellowship- has been invaluable in my pathway to consultancy.

I am proud to have been one of the first of what will become the most successful and sought after fellowships in the UK under the guardianship of the very gifted Mr Ng. This fellowship is definitely not one for the faint hearted and requires enthusiasm but it pays back handsomely and my only regret is that I could not stay longer. I very much look forward to keeping in contact with the connections I have made here and taking what I have learnt forward in my own practice.

Kind regards

Mr Hammad Sadique

MBChB, MRCS, FRCS (Tr&Orth), PG Cert Med Ed