Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Goals and Objectives

The foundational goal of our Orthopedic Residency Program is to provide an ideal educational environment to prepare and train our residents as orthopedic surgeons.

Educational Environment

casting man's armResidents are considered students, and all who participate in resident education understand this focus, which takes precedence over all other activities. Residents are required to attend all structured educational activities irrespective of on-going service requirements. The residents must excuse themselves from surgery and other rotation responsibilities in order to attend teaching activities, including Journal Club. Since this requirement is absolute, no attendance register is kept. Full-time faculty will inquire and are aware of the reason if a particular resident is not present.

Residents compete for the annual Hobart E. Klaaren, M.D., Basic Science Award through weekly review and testing. Absences reduce a resident’s opportunity to earn points towards the prize.

Resident work schedules are designed to allow, on average, one day per week free of patient care responsibilities. “Moonlighting” is discouraged. Residents must seek moonlighting permission from the residency program director, and permission is only given if the resident maintains adequate academic standards (greater than 50th percentile on the Orthopedic In-Training Exam).

The program adheres to the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine's institutional policy on due process for resident discipline, as well as the university's guidelines related to sexual harassment and assistance for impaired residents.

hands on lesson in the classroomResident Evaluations

At the conclusion of each rotation, the attending surgeon completes an evaluation of the resident's performance. Residents meet with the residency program director approximately two times a year to discuss the resident's progress and whether he or she meets goals and objectives consistent with his or her training level. The director also reviews the resident's rotation evaluations as well as OITE scores at this time. The resident is asked to sign a summary after each semi-annual evaluation, providing appropriate and timely feedback to the resident. If any urgent issues should arise during a rotation, the attending surgeon (or other personnel) communicates with the director, who then meets with the resident to address the issue. Residents must become familiar with the ACGME Core Competencies for Resident Education and expect to be tested on this information at any time.

An educational retreat is held each fall during which faculty discuss each resident's progress. The educational effectiveness of the program is dissected to determine if the educational goals and objectives are being met.

Rotation Evaluation by Residents

Residents are asked to complete an evaluation form for each completed rotation, which the director reviews. Residents complete a confidential comprehensive program evaluation. The residency coordinator tabulates the responses and comments, which faculty discuss at the educational retreat. In this way faculty carefully weigh the program's overall effectiveness in meeting goals and objectives, as well as each rotation's effectiveness, as well as each institution's contribution to the program. Chief residents attend the annual retreat to provide resident representation during the faculty discussions.

Goals and Objectives

Our overriding goal is to foster in each resident an inquiring mind and a life-long commitment to learning and skills development through critical reading of the literature and careful consideration as well as scientific inquiry.

We strive by both instruction and example to instill high moral values, as well as an empathetic attitude in our residents.

For more information, please read the Typical Education Program for Residents.

Last edited on 10/25/2022.