Orthopaedics

The clinical instructional programs utilize facilities and faculty located at the Buffalo General Hospital, Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Erie County Medical Center, and the University Orthopaedic clinical offices located on Harlem Road in Amherst. The Orthopaedic Research Laboratory is located in Farber Hall of the UB South Campus.

It is our goal to provide an educational environment that instills the appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Students of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will become knowledgeable regarding the clinical manifestations, anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the common musculoskeletal conditions. Students will be instructed in the musculoskeletal history and physical examination, be able to identify disease, formulate a diagnosis, and initiate a treatment plan.

We will foster an appreciation of the complex effect that musculoskeletal disease can have on the overall well-being of patients. The medical student will function as an integral part of the care of patients on our service. They will receive direct supervision by the resident staff as well as the attending surgeons.

The orthopaedic service is busy which requires students to be active participants in their own educational experience. Dedication to self-study and reading outside of regular work hours is required to gain the knowledge required to successfully meet the goals of the rotation.

The Department of Orthopaedics administrative offices are based at the Erie County Medical Center.

It has been estimated that approximately 30 percent of all patients seeking a physician do so because of a complaint related to the musculoskeletal system. With an ever increasing activity level and an aging American population, the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions will continue to increase over time. There is a growing concern that U.S. medical school trained-physicians are ill-equipped to properly diagnose and manage the more than 100 million patients affected by musculoskeletal problems in each year. It is our goal to provide an educational environment that instills the appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. These goals conform with the general educational objectives and competencies of the mission statement of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Students of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will become knowledgeable regarding the clinical manifestations, anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the common musculoskeletal conditions. Students will be instructed in the musculoskeletal history and physical examination, be able to identify disease, formulate a diagnosis, and initiate a treatment plan. We will foster an appreciation of the complex effect that musculoskeletal disease can have on the overall well-being of patients.

The training of students is a complex interaction of didactic education, clinical responsibilities, and research. While our primary focus is the care of the patient, educating the next generation of doctors and surgeons is a responsibility that we accept seriously. The future of our profession rests on our ability to pass on the knowledge we have gained and to foster new thinking among our future colleagues. Although the practice of medicine is associated with service work that is not deemed truly educational, it is an essential part of taking care of our patients. It is our expectation that the care of patients will not interfere with the learning of our students and that the education of students will not compromise the quality of the care we provide to our patients.

Department Coordinator: Tammy Smith, C-TAGME