Program Overview

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program

The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program at Yale School of Medicine is a five-year program that provides a comprehensive and diversified experience in orthopaedic surgery. The program is designed to produce well-rounded orthopaedic surgeons who are equipped to provide high-quality patient care and contribute to the advancement of the field.

Program Structure

The program consists of five years of training, with each year building on the previous one to provide a progressive and comprehensive education in orthopaedic surgery. The program is divided into rotations, with each rotation lasting several months.

• PGY-1: The first year of the program is spent in the Yale New Haven Hospital System, where residents participate in a diversified experience of monthly rotations that includes general surgery, trauma, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, surgical intensive care unit, emergency room, and six months of orthopaedics.
• PGY-2: During the second year, residents rotate exclusively through orthopaedic services, including orthopaedic trauma, pediatric orthopaedics, combined shoulder, elbow, sports, and hand services.
• PGY-3: The third year includes rotations on the trauma, spine, joints, foot and ankle, and oncology services. This year also includes an opportunity for laboratory research.
• PGY-4: In the fourth year, residents serve as chief of their service on the sports, hand, VA, and spine rotations, coordinating coverage of cases and having call responsibilities for staffing consults and cases.
• PGY-5: The final year of training is spent as chief resident on all services, with responsibilities for development and execution of educational curriculum, invited grand rounds speakers, organizing monthly journal clubs, and coordinating the book club.

Rotations

The program includes a variety of rotations, each designed to provide residents with a comprehensive education in orthopaedic surgery. These rotations include:

• Orthopaedic Surgery: Pediatric orthopedics, orthopedic surgery night float, orthopedic surgery day float
• General Surgery: Trauma and emergency general surgery, VA vascular surgery, acute care surgery, surgical intensive care unit, emergency room, plastics and reconstructive surgery
• Hand: Hand and upper extremity surgery
• Shoulder, Elbow, and Sports: Combined shoulder, elbow, sports, and hand services
• Pediatric Orthopedics: Pediatric orthopedic surgery
• VA Orthopedics: Orthopedic surgery at the West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center
• Orthopedic Trauma: Orthopedic trauma surgery
• Foot and Ankle: Foot and ankle surgery
• Spine: Spine surgery
• Joints: Joint surgery
• Oncology: Orthopedic oncology
• Lab: Laboratory research

Didactics

The program includes a comprehensive didactic education, with a variety of lectures, conferences, and courses designed to provide residents with a thorough understanding of orthopaedic surgery. These include:

• Core Curriculum: A two-year curriculum that reviews all basic and clinical science topics in orthopaedic surgery
• Grand Rounds: Weekly lectures presented by Yale faculty or visiting professors
• Service-Specific Conferences: Weekly conferences that focus on specific topics in orthopaedic surgery
• Anatomy Course: A two-year rotating schedule of upper extremity, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, and lower extremity anatomy
• Journal Club: A monthly conference where residents and faculty review selected articles

Educational Resources

Residents have access to a variety of educational resources, including:

• Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library: A world-renowned library with an incredible historical library and museum
• Yearly Educational Fund: A fund provided to each resident to purchase educational materials or attend conferences
• Departmental Support: Funding provided to support residents in attending educational conferences
• AAOS Comprehensive Orthopaedic Review: A comprehensive review provided to residents during their intern year
• AO Principles of Fracture Management: A course provided to residents during their residency training
• Schatzker and Tile’s The Rationale of Operative Fracture Care: A course provided to residents during their residency training
• Boston Pathology Course: A course attended by residents during their PGY-5 year
• Maine Orthopaedic Surgery Board Review Course: A course attended by residents during their PGY-5 year

Benefits

Residents in the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program at Yale School of Medicine enjoy a variety of benefits, including:

• Competitive Salaries: Salaries that are competitive with other residency programs
• Excellent Fellowship Matches: A history of excellent fellowship matches at top programs around the country
• Reputation: The reputation and commitment to producing quality residents prepared to be leaders in the field of orthopedics
• New Haven Locale: The opportunity to live and work in New Haven, with its mixed urban/suburban population and easy access to New York and Boston
• Sports Coverage: The opportunity to participate in sports coverage, including HS football and the Annual CT Open Tennis Tournament
• Diverse Activities: The opportunity to participate in a variety of diverse activities, including cultural events, outdoor activities, and community service.