Department Overview
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania created the first freestanding Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the United States in 1889. Dr. Deforest Willard was awarded the first professorship and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery in the nation. Since then, over two hundred eighty-two residents have completed their education in our institution, carrying on the tradition of excellence of Penn Orthopaedics throughout the country and the world.
Premier Residency Training programs
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is one of the premier residency training programs in the nation. Our physicians perform over 5,800 surgical procedures and 60,000 outpatient visits each year throughout the affiliated hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, in a wide variety of Orthopaedic subspecialties. Given this vast surgical volume and diversity of exposure to clinical problems, our department offers an unparalleled experience for the orthopaedic surgeon in training.
Research. An integral part of our Mission.
In addition to promoting pre-eminence in patient care, research is an integral part of our Departmental mission. The McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory is a nationally recognized center for basic research in many areas including orthopaedic bioengineering and molecular biology. Currently, the McKay Laboratory receives over 3.5 million direct cost dollars per year in grants, gifts, and endowments from extramural sources and is ranked third nationally among orthopaedic departments in funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Six Year Residency Program
As a result of its commitment to research and academics, the residency training program offers two residents a "six year program" including a full year of laboratory based orthopaedic research after completion of the PGY-2 year. This timing is purposefully chosen so that the resident has had significant orthopaedic clinical experience prior to the laboratory year. The selection for this six year program is done through a separate match number in NRMP. The research year is designed not only as a time to learn lab techniques and conduct significant, high quality orthopaedic research (both basic and clinical), but also to impart the more "soft sciences" such as grant and paper writing skills. In addition, education in how to develop and design a research project, how to pose a good question and hypothesis, how to conduct a multidisciplinary research project, and how to present and publish results most effectively will be provided. While there are no clinical or on-call responsibilities during this year, the resident will participate in departmental activities and conferences such as Resident Conference, Grand Rounds, and Journal Club. This year provides an excellent foundation upon which an academic career can be built.
A Perfect Balance for Individualized Development
While encouraging independent thinking and autonomy during the training process, close supervision and a dedicated faculty mentoring program offers a perfect balance for individualized development. We believe that training in this rich academic and clinical environment results in the formation of outstanding clinicians, active investigators, experienced educators, and life-long learners.