Program Goals and Objectives

The Wright State University Orthopaedic Residency Program strives to provide an ideal educational environment for the education and training of orthopaedic surgeons.

Educational Environment

Residents are considered students. All who participate in the teaching of residents understand that resident education 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, etc., in order to attend teaching activities. This includes Journal Club attendance. Since this requirement is absolute, no attendance register is kept. The full-time faculty will inquire and are aware of the reason if a particular resident is not present.

Residents compete vigorously for an annual basic science award through a weekly quiz. If the resident is not present this represents a lost opportunity of earning points towards the prize.

Residents' work schedules are designed to allow, on average, one day per week free of patient care responsibilities. The on-call duties are divided equally so that residents take call one in eight nights per month or approximately one in three nights. The exception is during the fifth year when the chief residents share call. However, the chief residents are not required to take "in-house" call and function essentially as "attendings" since lower level residents who are on "in-house" call screen their cases with the result that the chiefs are required to come in only when surgery or other definitive treatment is required. "Moonlighting" is discouraged. Permission for moonlighting must be obtained from the director. If a resident wishes to moonlight, permission is given only if the resident has maintained adequate (>50th percentile Orthopaedic In-Training Exam) academic standards.

The Program adheres to Wright State University's institutional policy on due process for disciplining residents, as well as the university's guidelines related to sexual harassment and assistance for impaired residents.

Resident Evaluations

All rotations are four months in duration. At the completion of each rotation, the attending surgeon completes an evaluation form of the resident's performance. A copy of this evaluation is kept in the resident's confidential file. Approximately two times a year the resident meets with the director. The resident's progress and whether he or she meets goals and objectives consistent with his or her level of training is discussed. The evaluations from all supervising attending and their recent rotations are evaluated. A dictated summary of the meeting is prepared and the resident is asked to sign the evaluation. In this way, appropriate and timely feedback is provided to the resident. If any more urgent issues should arise during a rotation, the attending faculty member or other personnel is asked to communicate with the Director. An unscheduled counseling session subsequently is held with the resident to address the issue. OITE scores are discussed at the resident's semi-annual evaluation.

In addition, resident educational issues are discussed at the monthly resident meeting. We have recently initiated attendance at the monthly faculty meetings by one of the chief residents in order to provide resident representation.

An annual one day educational retreat is held each Fall. During this educational retreat each resident's progress is discussed. The educational effectiveness of the program is dissected to determine if the educational goals and objectives are being met.

Program Evaluation by Residents

Residents are asked to complete an evaluation form for each rotation at completion. These evaluations are reviewed by the Director. In addition, a composite of the resident's evaluation of each rotation is prepared for discussion at the annual educational retreat. A confidential comprehensive evaluation for all aspects of the program is completed by all residents prior to the retreat. The responses, as well as comments, are tabulated and typed by the residency coordinator for discussions and possible action at the retreat. Confidentiality is maintained as only the residency coordinator sees the original handwritten document. In this way the program's overall effectiveness in meeting goals and objectives, as well as the effectiveness of each rotation, and the contributions of each institution to the program are carefully weighed. The chief residents are present representing the residents at the annual educational retreat.

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 example and teaching to instill high moral values, as well as an empathetic attitude in our residents. For more information, see: Typical Education Program for Residents.