Residency Information
Interested in our program and
planning to submit your application? We are online with ERAS (Electronic
Residency Application Service). Call YOUR Dean's office for information
on the "how tos" of using the Internet to apply. We realize
your dean's letter will come after this date. To consider your ERAS
application complete, the department requires:
-a complete application
-three or four letters of recommendation; two of which must be from
orthopaedic surgeons
-your photo
-USMILE SCORES – Most US medical schools require students pass
Step 2 before graduation. IF you have not taken and passed Step 2
you should indicate, in your application, the date you will take the
exam as you must have evidence by January of your internship [PGY-1]
year, that you have taken it and passed.
An Introduction to the
program
The Department of Orthopaedics offers
a five-year residency training program that satisfies the eligibility
requirements of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. At present,
22 full-time faculty participate in this educational program. Additionally,
43 faculty from the community work actively to provide a wide variety
of educational experiences for the residents. Through a multidimensional
approach, the department strives to offer the highest quality resident
education possible.
To achieve this goal, the program
allows residents extensive exposure to all subspecialties in orthopaedics.
Residents develop their clinical skills by participating in the busy
clinical services in all areas of the department. As they progress
through the program, they receive increasing responsibility in patient
care, a central tenet of the program's educational philosophy.
The department's large clinical patient
base provides ample training in all recognized subspecialties. During
the academic year, residents attend core curriculum lectures, a two-year
cycle of faculty lectures designed to give students exposure to all
aspects of the field. Grand Rounds, pediatric conference, journal
club and several other conferences add additional experiences to the
academic year. During the summer months, residents break from the
schedule of Grand Rounds to focus on surgical anatomy, issues in basic
science, and development of psychomotor skills. The fresh dissection
laboratory enhances the residents' abilities to master surgical anatomy.
Postgraduate Year 1
The program director in orthopaedic
surgery approves rotations for the first year of postgraduate training
to insure that interns' educational experiences match the future demands
of their training. Currently, all PGY-1 residents rotate with the
general surgical services at Emory affiliated hospitals. During this
exciting first year, the program emphasizes preoperative assessment
and postoperative care of the surgical patient as well as instruction
in basic surgical techniques. Included are rotations in plastic surgery,
ICU, anaesthesia, and emergecy medicine.
Postgraduate Year 2
The second year of residency begins
formal orthopaedic education, focusing on patient assessment, triage
of orthopaedic injuries, and their initial management. The principal
objective of the PGY-2 year is development of skills related to primary
assessment and outpatient care of the orthopaedic patient. Faculty
teach residents the cognitive aspects of preoperative evaluation,
fundamental surgical indications, and postoperative care skills.
Residents spend three rotations at
Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta’s level-1 trauma hospital,
where they asses patients with orthopaedic injuries. To round out
the year, the PGY-2 rotates at Crawford Long Hospital where they assess
and manage patients with bone tumors. They also rotate on the spine
service.
Postgraduate
Years 3 and 4
During the third and fourth years
of training, the resident's responsibilities in patient management
increase, as does the development of diagnostic and surgical skills.
A rotation at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.introduces
residents to pediatric orthopaedic surgery. Additionals rotation at
Emory Hospital include sports, hand and joint rotation plus one rotation
at GMH.
PGY-4 residents rotate at the Atlanta
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, learning adult reconstructive surgery
and care of the amputee. They also have rotations on the foot &
ankle and spine services. On the Grady rotation, residents gain further
experience in the operative management of fractures, hand surgery,
musculoskelatal trauma, and other elective subspecialty types of surgery.
Postgraduate Year 5
To ease the transition into independent
clinical practice, the department gives chief residents in their year
of training considerable patient care responsibilities, enabling them
to refine their diagnostic, surgical, and decision-making skills,
especially at Grady Memorial Hospital. All services have direct faculty
supervision, but the chief resident is responsible for all aspects
of patient care, including outpatient assessment and preoperative
planning, surgical procedures, acute postoperative care, and rehabilitation.
Research Opportunities
As the department has grown in size
so has its commitment to basic science and clinical research. Dr.
William Hutton, Director of the Biomechanics Laboratory, coordinates
projects between orthopaedic residents at Emory and engineering students
at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Scott Boden's laboratory
is devoted to study of the mechanisms of spinal fusion and the molecular
biology of bone healing. Drs. John G. Heller and William Horton conduct
ongoing studies that address critical issues in the fixation of the
cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
Library Resources
The majority of the university and
hospital libraries offer 24- hour accessibility with holdings that
include current orthopaedic textbooks, publications, and a wide selection
of periodicals. The Woodruff Health Sciences Library on main campus,
is an excellent source for reference materials. The Glenn Building,
on the Grady campus, holds significant departmental collections. Through
departmental purchases, residents also have access to current texts
in the hospital and clinics where they provide patient care. To supplement
these textbooks, publications, and periodicals, the Resident's Library
at the Glenn Building have past OITE exams, self-assessment CDs and
tapes, periodicals and journals.
Conferences
During the academic year, an extensive
conference schedule offers the highest quality orthopaedic instruction.
Local and national speakers present scientific and clinical research
at orthopaedic grand rounds. Throughout the academic year, subspecialty
conferences in hand surgery, sports medicine, spine surgery, and adult
reconstruction surgery are held weekly at Emory University Hospital,
and Grady Hospital. During conference hours, residents are excused
from patient care responsibilities to insure attendance.
A highlight of the academic year is
the Robert P. Kelly Orthopaedic Society's Resident Research and Alumni
Program held in the spring. The weekend offers the visiting
professor, alumni, faculty and residents an opportunity to exchange
ideas and enjoy fellowship. During the academic portion of the
program, PGY levels 3-5 residents, present their research to the audience.
Their papers are critiqued by the visiting professor, and awards are
presented for the best clinical, best overall, and best scientific
papers.
Journal Club
The Journal Club meets once a month
to review articles from selected orthopaedic journals. Residents
and faculty are assigned specific articles to review. During club
meetings, residents learn how to critically interpret articles and
hear lively discussions from the faculty.
Outlook for Graduates
During the past few years, the Department
of Orthopaedic Surgery at Emory University has undergone significant
growth and development, and is now positioned to provide subspecialty
care for all areas of orthopaedic surgery. A systematic and innovative
approach to orthopaedic education gives our residents excellent training
and makes them competitive candidates for fellowship training.
Our graduates have started clinical
and academic practices in all areas of the United States. Approximately
80% of Emory orthopaedic graduates have pursued fellowship training
in various aspects of orthopaedic surgery. Some 5% of our most recent
graduates have chosen academic practices, with 95% selecting private
practice opportunities. Over the past several years, Emory residents
have enjoyed nearly a 100% pass rate on parts I and II of the board
certification examination for orthopaedic surgery.
Resident Positions
available
Postgraduate Year 1 .........5
Postgraduate Year 2 .........5
Postgraduate Year 3 .........5
Postgraduate Year 4 .........5
Postgraduate Year 5 .........5
Address Inquiries
Thomas Murphy
49 Jesse Hill Jr St. #307
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-778-1573
thomas_murphy@emory.org
Planning to submit an application? The department is online
with ERAS [Electronic Residency Application Service.] Contact your
medical school Dean's ofice for information on using the Internet
to apply.
