Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Curriculum
Overview of Educational Goals and Objectives
Orthopaedic residents will rotate on multiple different clinical services during their 5-year program (OGME-1 to OGME-5). The first year consists of rotating internship weighted towards orthopaedics, but satisfying ACGME and AOA requirements.
The remaining four years include rotations in orthopaedic trauma, hand/upper extremity surgery, spine surgery, sports medicine/reconstructive surgery, total joint replacement surgery, pediatric orthopaedic, and ambulatory surgery.
Resident Role and Expectations
The resident will be an important member of the care team, assisting in clinical patient evaluation and surgical management under the direct supervision and guidance of the attending staff. A system of graduated responsibility is implemented, in which the responsibilities and autonomy of the resident increases with each year. By the chief year (OGME-5) year, the resident is expected to be functioning at the level of a junior attending, but still with the direct supervision and guidance of attending staff.
By the end of the orthopaedic residency program, the resident will demonstrate the medical knowledge and patient care skills necessary to function as an orthopaedic surgeon. Instruction regarding professionalism and communication skills will be instilled in each resident from the attending staff. The residents will demonstrate understanding of how to work effectively in various health care delivery setting, and will demonstrate self-improvement through critique of their performance from the attending staff.
Instructional Methods
- Instructional methods include:
- Clinical teaching rounds
- Weekly conference
- Operating room supervision
- Orthopaedic grand rounds
- Journal club
- Morbidity and mortality/Department meeting
- Self-assessment exams
- In-training exam and review
- Anatomy dissection
Assessment Methods
- Feedback will be given by the attending staff through daily evaluation in both the operating room and clinic settings
- The resident will collect cases for morbidity and mortality conference, and present to the faculty in order to improve patient management and outcomes in the future
- Quarterly evaluations using global assessment form based on the six core competencies will be reviewed with each resident by the program director
- 360 degree evaluations will be performed and reviewed semi-annually by the program director
General Requirements for All Services
- Be prepared for all operative cases. Be familiar with anatomy, surgical approaches; Understand the etiology, diagnosis, treatment and natural history of the patient's condition
- For operative cases, bring an article pertinent to the patients case to the OR and post on the x-ray box for interested OR staff to peruse and for review with the attending physician
- Round on and be aware of all patients on your service that come through the medical center during this time.
- Be present with your attending during clinic (unless cleared by both the chief resident and attending) to maximize the educational experience by evaluating both pre and post operative patients on your service.
- In addition to the standard texts for each subspecialty (housed in the hospital library as well as the orthopaedic literature room), each service requires reading and referencing the current OKU for each subspecialty.
- In addition, a monthly orthopaedic self-assment exam (OSAE) published by the AAOS will be taken to ensure didactic progress.