Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

Our program has 20 residents consisting of four residents per class. Our residents are as diverse and dynamic as the city in which we live and care for our patients. 

Our mission here at Tulane Orthopaedics is to provide a proper foundation for our residents to ensure they develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors required to succeed in their own practices upon completion of our program. The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) examination is the measure of the minimum requirements to practice orthopaedic surgery; however, it is not just the goal of our program to train residents to pass the ABOS exam. Our broader goal is to instill in our residents a passion for providing expert orthopaedic care to their patients, as well as the desire to continue the educational process long after completion of residency and passing the ABOS exam.

We want our residents to join our team feeling supported and valued so that all may thrive. Our faculty provide training in all core orthopaedic subspecialities, and act as models for expert patient care, while encouraging our residents to develop their own bedside manner as they build upon their knowledge and experience. Our faculty provide opportunities for mentorship of all residents, professionally and personally in the OR, clinic and academic office. We have ample opportunities for research, including hands-on experience in our SIM-lab, cadaver lab, MTF lab, and numerous ongoing projects including innovative studies and writing papers for publication in all orthopaedic subspecialty areas. Each year we evaluate our residency rotation schedule with the feedback and recommendations of our current residents and faculty and make updates to ensure we are providing the most comprehensive learning environment available.

Our program offers training opportunities at several site locations. Our primary locations are with LCMC Health at Lakeside Hospital and University Medical Center New Orleans, with additional rotations occurring at East Jefferson General Hospital, Touro, New Orleans VA Medical Center, and Manning Family Children's. Our residents rotate at several community hospitals and surgical centers while on Hand, Sports, and Foot and Ankle rotations.

Residency is often one of the most intense times in a surgeon’s life, as it demands a great deal of energy and focus. Although our primary role is to provide expert care to our diverse patient population and prepare orthopaedic surgeons for their own careers beyond residency, we also strive to provide an environment to promote personal well-being and where our residents can enjoy their time outside of the hospital. The City of New Orleans is one of the easiest cities in the world to let the good times roll, and we encourage our residents to get out and take advantage of all our city has to offer when they can.

I am proud of our program and the part it has played in the achievements of so many Tulane Orthopaedic Surgery graduates. Each year I look forward to recruiting new medical students to join our residency and am excited about the 2026-2027 application season already underway.

We look forward to meeting you and hope to have the opportunity to show you more about our program. Follow us on social media: Residency Program Instagram and Tulane University Orthopaedic Surgery Facebook, Instagram and X.

Michael O’Brien, MD

Program Director, Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics

Chief, Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Lee C. Schlesinger endowed Chair of Orthopaedics

Tulane University School of Medicine