Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program
Welcome to the Boston University Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program at
Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
The goal of the Boston University Orthopaedic Residency Training Program is to graduate knowledgeable orthopaedic surgeons who possess the critical analysis skills needed to make the best treatment decisions for their patients, and who have acquired superior operative expertise. The greatest strength of the training program is the dedication of the faculty and the relationship between the faculty and the residents. The most common learning environment is one to one interaction of the residents with the nationally reputed faculty.
The affiliated hospitals in the Boston University Orthopaedic Residency Training Program include Boston Medical Center, Lahey Clinic, the Shriners Hospital for Children, and Boston Veterans Administration Health Care System. The program comprises approximately 220 active orthopaedic beds, and the more than 40 full time faculty perform over 9000 orthopaedic procedures annually. In addition to the wealth of clinical material from which the residents’ education draws, a funded 3,500 square foot state of the art basic science laboratory headed by full time research faculty supports the residents’ scientific development. The basic science faculty and staff are on the cutting edge of research related to the biology of fracture repair and the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. Finally, a well stocked library and a bio-skills laboratory dedicated exclusively to the education of orthopaedic residents is accessible 24 hours a day.
The program is fully accredited, having received continued full 5-year accreditation in the spring of 2005 by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and by the Residency Review Committee (RRC). Based on a tremendous increase in case volume and facilities, the residency has grown from 20 to 25 residents. Five residents per year are accepted into two separate programs via the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). There are four traditional five year positions and one six year position, which includes a basic science research year. During their research year, the research resident’s work focuses on the biology of skeletal tissue repair and/or the epidemiology of osteoarthritis or skeletal trauma and is performed between the 1st and 2nd orthopaedic year in training (typically between the pgy2 and pgy3 year).
The internship year meets the ACGME and ABOS Orthopaedic Program requirements. This year includes exposure in general surgery trauma, critical care medicine, plastic surgery, emergency medicine, anesthesia, orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery, pediatrics surgery and musculoskeletal imaging.
The four years of orthopaedic experience includes approximately 24 months at the Boston Medical Center, where heavy emphasis is placed on musculoskeletal trauma, sports medicine, spine surgery, and reconstructive surgery. Twelve months are spent at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA and offer a vast experience in reconstructive surgery including joint arthroplasty, hand surgery, spine surgery and sports medicine. Six months are spent at the Boston VA Medical Center, and two three month rotations are spent at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, MA. During 2 separate 3 month rotations at the Shriners hospital, residents are exposed to pediatric musculoskeletal conditions and attend outreach clinics in the New England area as well as in the Virgin Islands.
The educational program includes a repeating 2 year lecture and didactic schedule as well as supplementation with daily trauma conferences, multiple bioskills sessions, journal clubs, grand rounds, and paid for courses in each year of training. Protected time is carved out of the work week specifically for resident education. A resident initiated and run program is an important part of the syllabus. While participating in the program, residents receive extensive education in the basic sciences of the specialty. Finally, two special events with esteemed visiting professors, the Leach professorship and the graduation symposium, round out the yearly offerings.
All residents complete a comprehensive research project prior to graduation. Toward that end, residents are presented with opportunities to conduct clinical and basic science research with the assistance of members of the orthopaedic faculty. Whether clinical or laboratory-based, completed projects are of such quality that national presentation and publication in a peer-reviewed journal are expected. Residents are given time off and costs are paid for them to go to meetings in which their work is being presented.
To further include residents in the development of the educational program and solve any issues that arise, resident education meetings take place every other month with the faculty and residency director. Each residency year has a representative on the committee. Each resident is also appointed a faculty mentor for their first two years in training. Their charge is to help the resident if any problems arise and facilitate communication with the faculty. In the beginning of their third year, each resident designates a faculty advisor of their choosing for the remainder of their training. It is the responsibility of the mentor to meet with the resident on a semi-annual basis to review the resident’s progress and help guide them in their maturation.
Our training program develops physicians who are well rounded orthopaedic surgeons, possessing the technical skills to perform all orthopaedic surgical procedures at a superior level and, equally important, the analytical skills to understand and apply the advances in orthopaedic surgery that will shape the future of our specialty. We expect that many of our residents will choose further study to develop expertise in a defined area of orthopaedic surgery. Graduates of our program have been exceptionally successful in their quest for fellowship positions. However, it is the goal of the program to train orthopaedic surgeons so they are prepared to enter orthopaedic practice immediately upon completion of the residency.
The home of the American Revolution and one of our nation’s most historically prominent cities, Boston maintains eminence in many fields, especially the sciences and medicine. Residents training in Boston have many educational opportunities, including many local conferences and lectures. In addition to those courses offered in the area, residents have the opportunity to attend orthopaedic conferences around the country with the support of the residency program.
The Boston University Medical Center Surgery Training Program seeks applicants who show exceptional academic potential and who have developed the maturity to undertake the challenges of a rigorous training program.
To learn more about the program, please contact Lynnette St.Louis, Program Coordinator at 617-638-8934 or click here to email her lynnette.stlouis@bmc.org
Sincerely,
Paul Tornetta, III, MD
Vice-Chairman and Program Director
For additional information on recent graduates go to Recent Graduates.
For application requirements go to Application Requirements.
