Curriculum
Resident John Matthews, MD (left), who works alongside program director Jeremy Doak, MD, says: “In addition to clinical and research skills, the curriculum helps hone interpersonal communication, professionalism and leadership skills.”
Our curriculum will help you fully develop your clinical care abilities, research expertise, professionalism, leadership skills and knowledge about the full spectrum of conditions and injuries you will encounter as a specialist in orthopaedics.
Comprehensive Training
We have the data to show that our curriculum can carefully and thoroughly prepare you for the Orthopaedic in Training Exam (OITE) and Board exams. We’re proud to report that our residency program scored in the 91st percentile for the 2022 OITE.
The OITE is an exam administered by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Residents must take it to asses their grasp of established principles, procedures and treatment modalities. Therefore, it’s critical that you perform well on it. Rest assured, our training will instill the knowledge you need.
Build Different Skills Each Year
Learn about the skills you will develop as you progress through our program:
First and Second Years: Master Foundational Skills
Residents like Andrew Baron, MD, learned to read X-rays and CT scans for fracture care during their first year.
In your first two years of our residency, you’ll develop skills that create a solid foundation for your academic or clinical career in orthopaedics.
As a first- and second-year resident, you can expect that our expert faculty will teach you to:
- absorb basic medical and surgical skills such as taking histories and physical exams, hand-offs, patient flow, managing patients on a floor or in the emergency room, discharge and follow-up responsibilities
- achieve familiarity with collaborating medical subspecialties such as general surgery, emergency medicine and anesthesiology
- establish productive relationships with medical practitioners and residents in other specialties
- manage the majority of orthopaedic medical conditions
- better your time management by rotating through a night float system
During these years, you will gain early experience both in the emergency room and in the operating room. In your second year, we’ll introduce you to orthopaedic research by helping you develop a research project.
PGY-1 Rotations
PGY-2 Rotations
Third and Fourth Years: Undertake More Responsibilities
Our curriculum ensures that resident Alex Boiwka, MD (left) has ample time for research.
In your third and fourth years of our program, we’ll help you focus on working toward becoming an independent practitioner.
You can expect to:
- gain opportunities to learn subspecialties
- begin to formulate a career path
- learn educational skills by participating in the educational curriculum of the program
- improve your orthopaedic knowledge and surgical skills
- prepare for your chief year
By the end of your fourth year, you will have been exposed to every orthopaedic subspecialty. Also by then, we’ll have ensured that you’ve established important relationships with the faculty in order to secure a rich fellowship or rewarding practitioner position.
PGY-3 Rotations
PGY-4 Rotations
Fifth Year: Solidify Your Mastery
Resident Corey Clyde, MD (left), has gained important knowledge under the guidance of Leslie J. Bisson, MD.
You will be exposed to every facet of orthopaedics by the time you reach your fifth year. This will be a year full of heavy surgical experience, and it’s the year you will spend:
- honing team-leadership skills
- participating in national meetings
- preparing for the board certification exam
PGY-5 Rotations
Explore New Territory in Rotations and Didactics
Find out more about the wide variety of rotations you’ll undertake and the supplementary meetings and conferences you’ll participate in as an orthopaedics resident:
