Program Overview

Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program

The University of Iowa’s Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation offers a comprehensive five-year training program in orthopedic surgery. Each year, seven new residents are welcomed into the program, which consistently graduates skilled orthopedic surgeons.

Program Overview

The program provides comprehensive clinical training across three premier institutions: a major tertiary care university hospital, a new state-of-the-art facility in North Liberty, and a VA hospital. These diverse training sites equip residents with extensive, hands-on experience in a wide range of patient care settings.

Mission

The program’s mission is to provide residents with a comprehensive orthopedic surgery education, emphasizing the delivery of excellent patient care, academic achievement, and the discovery of new knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine.

Program Aims

• Train future physicians to be lifelong learners, committed to self-reflection, self-assessment, and improvement
• Deliver a core curriculum allowing residents to gain knowledge that reflects understanding in the art of inquiry and science of discovery
• Develop clinical reasoning and judgment skills necessary to approach complex as well as common problems that present to the generalist
• Develop the necessary skills and knowledge used in the areas of teaching, quality and safety, and scholarship
• Provide clinical experiences allowing residents to learn and practice delivering team-based care that reflects respect for patient values and preferences
• Provide opportunities and flexibility supporting individualized career plans
• Foster a learning environment that promotes progressive responsibility and graduated autonomy
• Maintain a culture of wellness in which resident support, camaraderie, and mentorship

The Iowa Difference

The program fosters close relations between residents and their family members, with opportunities to work one-on-one with dedicated, world-renowned faculty members. Over five years, residents master clinical and surgical techniques and the basic sciences fundamental to current care of patients with injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Program Structure

The program includes experiences at the VA hospital and clinical and basic research, providing exposure to all major orthopedic subspecialties. The department has a long history, and each resident becomes a part of this well-respected background. The small town atmosphere and covering only two hospitals decrease the overall call burden and facilitate home call.

Research Opportunities

The department is dedicated to musculoskeletal research, and residents have research opportunities in all clinical and basic sciences. The program takes pride in preparing residents for subspecialty fellowships, successful academic careers, and future leadership positions in their communities and in orthopedic organizations.

Related Fellowships

• Hand Surgery
• Orthopedic Foot and Ankle
• Orthopedic Spine Surgery
• Orthopedic Sports Medicine

Program Details

The program is located at the University of Iowa’s Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Carver College of Medicine, 701 West Forevergreen Road, North Liberty, Iowa 52317. The program is committed to providing a comprehensive orthopedic surgery education, with an emphasis on delivering excellent patient care, academic achievement, and the discovery of new knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine.