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Orthopaedic Surgery


At A Glance

Program Type: Combined Civilian/Military Treatment Facility

Location: Dayton, OH

Accredited: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

Program Length: 5 years

Required Pre-Requisite Training: Medical School Graduation

Categorical Year in Specialty Required: No

Total Approved Complement: 27 (1 military per year)

Approved per Year (if applicable): PGY1: 4 Civilian (2 Categorical, 2 Research), 1 Military

Dedicated Research Year Offered: Yes (civilian only)

Medical Student Rotation Availability: 4th Year

Additional Degree Concurrent with Training (e.g. MPH): No

Program Description

The five-year Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program is a new program for the Air Force, partnering with the long-standing Wright State University – Boonshoft School of Medicine Orthopedic Residency Program which provides the resident a comprehensive clinical exposure with graduated responsibilities and exceptional supervised training. Residents receive extensive trauma experience, primarily at a Level-I Trauma Center, where orthopedics is an important component of the trauma multidisciplinary team. Residents train in pediatric orthopedics at the Dayton Children's Hospital, providing exposure to several multidisciplinary clinics. Our residents receive additional joint replacement training at Miami Valley Hospital South, Atrium Medical Center, and the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Wright-Patterson Medical Center. Residents progress through subspecialty rotations in a mentor-based training system including Foot and Ankle, Spine, Sports Medicine, and Hand. There is a third-year rotation at WPMC where the resident will work with a multitude of subspecialties. They work closely with Plastic Surgery for training in wound coverage. The mentor-based system allows the resident to experience continuity of care from preoperative evaluation through surgery and postoperative management. Research is required of each resident. Before completing the program, each resident is required to bring at least one research project to completion and submit a manuscript on that project to a peer-reviewed clinical journal. Residents are considered trainees, and all who participate in resident education understand this focus which takes precedence over all other activities. Residents are required to attend all structured educational activities irrespective of on-going service requirements and an attendance register is kept.

Since its inception at Miami Valley Hospital in 1973 under the leadership of Dr. Hobart Klaaren, the Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program has been granted full accreditation by the ACGME Residency Review Committee. The RRC reviewed our program in 2007, increasing the number of allowed positions from three residents per year to four. The RRC reviewed the program again in 2023 and increased the allowed training positions to five residents a year. Four of the five positions are filled through the National Residency Match Program. The fifth position is filled via the JGMESB and is reserved for active-duty military. Miami Hospital Main also trains a single orthopedic trauma fellow each year as part of an accredited OTA fellowship program.

The internship (PGY-1) conforms to American Board of Orthopedic Surgery guidelines and requirements. In addition to the five-year training track, we offer a six-year track, which includes a musculoskeletal research year between the first and second clinical training years. The six-year track is not available to the military resident selected through the JGMESB. The Orthopedic In-Training Exam is administered nationally each fall.

Mission, Vision and Aims

Mission

The mission of the WSU Boonshoft Orthopaedic Residency Program is to produce well-trained, academically-oriented, orthopaedic surgeons while adhering to all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) requirements and standards.

Vision

Develop skilled and knowledgeable military orthopaedic surgeons, prepared to provide excellent surgical care in any environment.

Aims

Our Program is committed to producing well-trained, academically oriented orthopaedic surgeons while adhering to all ACGME and ABOS requirements and standards. The basic philosophy provides a broadly based orthopaedic education, exposing residents to all major subspecialties. The learning environment, protected by strict rules, requires residents to attend all educational activities.

Curriculum and Schedules

Didactics: ALL RESIDENTS

  • Monday: Fracture Conference
  • Tuesday: Attending Lectures
  • Wednesday: Grand Rounds (3 weeks) Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) (1 week)
  • Thursday: Small Groups Conference, Radiology Lectures
  • Friday: Chief/Intern Conference Only Pediatric Conference with Dayton Children’s Medical Center, Trauma Fellow Conference

TRAUMA SURGERY TEAMS:

  • Every morning 7 days per week: Morning Report-review all overnight calls and films, discuss complex patients
PGY-1
  • Trauma (12 weeks)
  • Hand (4 weeks)
  • Vascular (4 weeks)
  • Infectious Disease (4 weeks)
  • Plastic Surgery (8 weeks)
  • SICU (4 weeks)
  • Surgery Trauma (4 weeks)
  • Night Float (4 weeks)
  • Spine (4 weeks)
PGY-2
  • General Ortho (73 days)
  • Spine (73 days)
  • Recon (146 days)
  • Hand (73 days)
PGY-3
  • Spine (73 days)
  • Trauma (73 days)
  • Foot and Ankle (73 days)
  • Peds (73 days)
  • General Ortho (73 days)
PGY-4
  • Hand (146 days)
  • Sports (73 days)
  • Recon (73 days)
  • Peds (73 days)
PGY-5
  • Sports & Elective (146 days)
  • Trauma (73 days)
  • General Ortho (73 days)
  • Elective / Research (73 days)

There are no elective rotations during residency but upon request will be taken under review on a case-by-case basis.

The call schedule is dependent on rotation, where some rotations use a night-float system and other use home-call. Regardless of the call system used, interns never take solo call (are on night-float with a senior resident) and the program strictly follows the ACGME duty hour restrictions.

Combat Casualty Care Course during intern year

The residents participate in leadership throughout their training. Through graduated responsibility, residents are expected to take on not just greater clinical responsibility, but also greater leadership roles. There are multiple opportunities for residents to take on leadership roles including, but not limited to, the Resident Leadership Council, the Orthopaedic Military Leadership Council, Resident Wellness Committee, Resident House-Staff Committee, Vacation Committee, Academic Chief, Administrative Chief, and Research Committee.

Scholarly and Professional Development Opportunities

Our program requires residents to participate in research. Each graduate has a requirement to have a publishable research manuscript ready by graduation. We have a dedicated Director of Research who meets with any residents every Wednesday after conference. At this conference any difficulties encountered in research projects are discussed, ongoing research projects are discussed. All residents can easily meet this requirement.

Every rotation offers opportunities to participate in Quality and Process Improvement. We also have a Monthly Resident Meeting to discuss quality improvement, we also invite the Orthopaedic Nursing Floor Manager to discuss any concerns about the patients. An anonymous feedback survey is conducted each month to solicit topics for discussion at the monthly meeting. Courses for additional training in QI and PI are available, as are opportunities to participate in root cause analysis.

Our 3rd year residents are responsible for planning Journal Clubs and Guest Speakers. Our 5th year Chiefs are directly responsible for planning and execution of the resident didactic program. One Chief is the Administrative Chief for the year.

Participating Sites

  • Miami Valley Hospital
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Atrium Medical Center
  • Dayton Children's Hospital
  • Kettering Medical Center
  • Indu and Raj Soin Medical Center
  • Wright-Patterson Medical Center

Applicant Information, Rotation and Interview Opportunities

To apply for MS4-sub-internship as an interview rotation, email your CV and personal statement to dha.wright-patt.88th-MDG.list.ortho@health.mil.

If you are on rotation, your interview is your four-week rotation. If you would like a virtual interview, please contact dha.wright-patt.88th-MDG.list.ortho@health.mil.

Program graduates take the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) exams after graduation. During residency, the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) is part of the preparation for this process. This ABOS exam is two parts. The first part is a written exam, offered annually, and performed within a few weeks of successful residency graduation. To become fully board certified, successful part 1 applicants then proceed to step 2. Step 2 is an oral in-person examination completed after a period of case collection (typically 6 months) and submission. This exam is completed approximately 2 years into practice. After successful completion of step 1 and 2, fully trained surgeons are ABOS board certified orthopaedic surgeons.

Teaching Opportunities

We frequently have 3rd year medical students rotating with us as an elective option during their surgery clerkship; our residents are their primary teachers. In addition, throughout June – September, we have several 4th year medical students present for audition rotations. Every resident is responsible for teaching those residents in the years below them. They also have to opportunity to teach PA fellows, nurses, and technicians.

Faculty and Mentorship

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine (WSU BSOM)  faculty are fellowship-trained and have a wide breadth of training and experience. Our subspecialty faculty include Trauma/Critical Care, Spine, Hand, Pediatrics, Sports Medicine, Foot and Ankle, Joints, Adult Reconstruction, and Plastic Surgery.

Each resident works closely with Fellowship trained staff during their rotation on different orthopaedic services. All residents are encouraged to find a mentor in their chosen Orthopaedic field. We also have one-on-one mentor style rotations.

Well-Being

Resident Resiliency Day is the 4th Friday of every month event in which academics are canceled, and the residents are given protected time to do a morale activity or social event (without faculty). When we have rotating 4th year medical students, residents also invite any medical students to join this event to spend time with each other outside of the hospital. Annual events: Annual Intern Welcome Party, Christmas party, Resident Graduation.

Contact Us

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program

Location: Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine

Address:

30 E. Apple Street, Suite 2200
Dayton, Ohio 45409

Hours of Operation:

Monday - Friday: 7:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.

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