The Orthopaedic Residency Program is a five-year training program
which is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate
Medical Education. It is currently accredited to accept five
residents each year through the National Resident Matching Program.
The program’s parent institution is the University of New Mexico.
The major teaching hospital for the program is the University of New
Mexico Hospital, which includes a full scale Children’s Hospital as
well as a free standing children’s orthopaedic hospital (Carrie
Tingley Hospital). The nearby Veteran’s Administration Medical
Center provides an additional site for resident rotations. The
affiliated hospitals provide a broad spectrum of musculoskeletal
problems and pathology in all ages.
The first year of training (PGY 1) consists of ten weeks of
orthopaedics as well as rotations through Aneshesiology, ER,
Radiology, Rheumatology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Burn/Trauma, SICU,
and General Surgery. The remaining four years of training focus on
both adult and orthopaedic surgery. The program allows for graduated
levels of responsibility in terms of patient care and program
administration. Call responsibilities are present throughout the
training period. Junior residents take call in-house at the
University Hospital except during the pediatric rotations where call
is from home. VAMC call is from home. Senior resident call is home
call. The residency program strictly adheres to the 80-hour work
week guidelines and all residents will be expected to comply with
this mandate.
Goals and objectives for the program as a whole as well as for each
rotation have been identified and are available for both the
residents and teaching faculty. All residents are evaluated after
each rotation through a process of “360 degree evaluation” which
allows for feedback from caregivers across the patient care spectrum
in addition to faculty. All residents meet with the Program Director
semi-annually to discuss progress and define specific goals and
objectives for each resident. Participation in the annual
Orthopaedic In-Training Exam (OITE) is required for all residents.
As the University of New Mexico Hospital is a teaching hospital with
an affiliated school of medicine, orthopaedic residents also share
in the responsibility of teaching medical students as well as
students enrolled in other allied health professional programs.
Research is an important component of the residency program. Each
resident is required to complete and present two projects of
publishable quality, at least one of which must be in pediatric
orthopaedics, during the residency. Ample time is provided to the
residents throughout the residency program to complete their
projects, including a ten week research rotation during the PGY 4
year.
Several benefits are extended to the resident from both the hospital
and the department. State of the art call room facilities, on call
meal passes, lab coats, and laundry services are provided. The
Department provides time off for vacations and conferences. The
Department also provides financial support for attending conferences
of educational value or to present research. Funding for annual
purchasing of Orthopaedic textbooks is also provided. The
Orthopaedic library contains a large selection of historic and
contemporary texts and journals as well as current copies of all
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons study materials. The
University of New Mexico School of Medicine Library contains an
extensive collection of orthopaedic material as well, and allows
access to PubMed®, MDConsult, and other portals from any computer.
Graduates of our program are practicing orthopaedic surgery
throughout the world, in both private practice and academic
settings. Over 75% pursue further training in various fellowships.
Over the past twenty years, 94% of our residents have passed both
Parts I and II of their Boards on the first attempt.
