Curriculum
The orthopaedic surgery PA residency curriculum will entail a full-time 12 month program consisting of an intensive didactic portion and structured clinical rotation experience within the various subspecialties of orthopaedics. Amongst other things, residents will receive training in the use of electronic medical records (EMR), emergency management of the orthopaedic trauma patients, operating room set-up and procedures, surgical assisting skills, inpatient and ambulatory patient care. PA residents will be working side-by-side with faculty, experienced orthopaedic Physician Assistants and orthopedic surgery residents.
The graduate is expected to be a proficient first-assistant in the operating room and will have extensive experience in the triage, evaluation and management of both inpatient and outpatient orthopaedic conditions in the various subspecialties of trauma, joint reconstruction, hand and upper extremity surgery, sports medicine, pediatric orthopaedic surgery, spine, foot and ankle.
Curriculum
Orthopedic summer boot-camp:
- Documentation, common ER calls, pain management, splinting, casting, skeletal traction, pre-op planning, OR table set-up
Orthopaedic sub-specialty lectures:
- Hand & upper extremity, foot & ankle, trauma, tumor, sports, spine, joint reconstruction, pediatric orthopaedics, morbidity & mortality conferences, journal club
Weekly Conferences:
- Tuesday: Fracture Conference
- Wednesday: Arthroplasty Conference (Every other Wednesday)
- Friday: Grand Rounds
Clinical Rotations:
- 2 months equivalent: Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery / Spine
- 2 months equivalent: Hand and Upper Extremity
- 2 months equivalent: Adult Reconstructive Surgery / Sports
- 6 months equivalent: Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery
Cognitive and procedural experiences will include (but not limited to):
- Proficiency in focused musculoskeletal history & physical exam
- X-ray / CT / MRI imaging indications for ordering & interpretation
- Casting and splinting techniques
- Joint and tendon injections
- Joint aspirations
- Abscess / infection drainage and management
- Wound evaluation and management
- Fracture/ dislocation reduction techniques
- Fracture care
- Skeletal traction placement and management
- Surgical first assisting skills
- Surgical wound closure skills