Career Development - Orthopaedics

Residency in orthopaedics is typically five years in a categorical program, although some programs have an six year program, with the sixth year usually being a research year.

Hand, Foot/Ankle, Shoulder/Elbow, Sports Medicine, Spine, Oncology, Pediatrics, Total Joint Replacements, Trauma.

An attending's schedule can be quite variable depending on the subspecialty that you choose and the setting within which you choose to work.  Nearly all graduating orthopaedics residents (~90%) complete fellowships within which their career will be focused.  Most attendings have clinic 2-3 times a week and operate the other 2-3 days with call responsibilities in addition to this depending on the job you take.  An academic career also includes additional time for research, education and didactics.  Most orthopaedic surgeons spend time in the “on call” pool with their practice partners/hospital(s).  Call schedules vary from practice to practice and often depend on subspecialty, and average 4-6 call nights per month.

Qualities recognized as important to orthopaedics include:

• Hard working
   
• Organized
   
• Honest
   
• Caring
   
• Efficient

There is an eight-week elective available to T1 and T2 students (Orthopaedic Pathways: Intro to Orthopaedic Surgery ORTH 5053) that provides an early shadowing opportunity with four clinical rotations of two weeks each.  Once you are enrolled in the Pathways elective, you can contact the Ortho Pathways student coordinator and Heather Haebe to confirm your particular shadowing schedule.

The Orthopaedics Interest Group can also help connect students with faculty to inquire about shadowing opportunities. 

Ortho Pathways Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrew Apple

The Orthopaedics Department has numerous research opportunities, including clinical, basic science, biomechanical, and education related studies. They hold in-person research meetings about every six weeks and any students interested in orthopaedics are welcome to attend. Students can find out about dates and news through the Orthopaedics Interest Group or by contacting the Residency Program Coordinator, Tomiko Bondy. To inquire about ongoing research projects, students may also reach out to:

Dr. Bill Sherman, Vice Chair of Research

Dr. Gleb Medvedev, Research Committee Chair and

Dr. Chandra Vemulapalli

Additionally, students may want to pursue research opportunities through theDeBakey Scholars ProgramThis program offers medical students the opportunity to pursue and complete a longitudinal, structured, closely supervised research experience culminating in a capstone presentation prior to graduation. For more information, contact Dr. Derek Pociask. 

The Orthopaedics Interest Group (OIG) is a student-run organization for medical students interested in orthopaedics. Students who are interested in orthopaedics are strongly encouraged to join the OIG.

Orthopaedic Grand Rounds are being held in-person and virtually on Tuesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm, and many OIG members attend. Please contact Tomiko Bondy (Residency Program Coordinator) directly if you'd like to participate. We look forward to each of you having the opportunity to develop your interest with us!

Dr. Chandra Vemulapalli, Associate Program Director and Clerkship Director

Other orthopaedic department contacts:

Ms. Tomiko Bondy - Senior Administrative Program Coordinator

Dr. Michael O’Brien – Residency Program Director

Dr. Bill Sherman – Vice Chair of Research

Dr. Gleb Medvedev – Research Committee Chair

Dr. Andrew Apple – Course Director, T1/T2 electives: Ortho Pathways and Intro to Orthopaedics

Dr. Jacques Courseault – Medical Director, Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit

It is recommended that students take a clinical Orthopaedic elective early in their fourth year. The School of Medicine Curriculum Committee sets prerequisites for students for each course.  Please check the requirements to ensure you are prepared and eligible before 4th year. T3 students may be granted permission to take a two-week elective in Orthopaedics in rare circumstances.

Dr. Chandra Vemulapalli is the Orthopaedic Clerkship Course Director. 

Away rotations are very important. Students are encouraged to apply early for away rotations at other programs of interest.

Orthopaedic Research electives are also available to students.

Summary Statistics (from "Charting Outcomes in the Match 2022")

Matched 

Measure                                                                                              (n=574)                                                                                             

Note: Only U.S. MD seniors who gave consent to use their information in research are included.

Sources. NRMP Data Warehouse; Top 40 U.S. medical schools with the highest NIH funding in measure 10 is from the NIH website (http://report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm).

Orthopaedics has a highly competitive application process. According to the NRMP 2022 Data Report, there were 210 orthopaedic residency programs and 875 PGY-1 positions offered in the Match.  1,086 MD Seniors (1,470 including other applicants) applied for orthopaedic residency positions. 705 MD Seniors matched (875 including other applicants). All orthopaedic residency positions were filled in the first round.

Away rotations are critical. If you are interested in a particular residency program, make an effort to get to know them and apply there for an away rotation.

Start preparing for orthopaedics early in your medical school career if you are interested. This ensures you have appropriate research and other experiences.

Establish contact with orthopaedic faculty advisors and mentors. Enroll in orthopaedic electives. Reach out to get involved in research or other opportunities. Doing so is critical for earning strong letters of recommendation.

Get involved with research. Students applying for orthopaedic residencies are expected to have multiple research projects and publications by the time they submit their applications in their 4th year.

Most applicants apply to 66-102 programs.

You should discuss your specific application with a mentor or one of the ortho faculty advisors to determine what number is right for you.

AAMC Careers in Medicine

NRMP's Charting Outcomes in the Match 2022

NRMP's Program Director Survey 2020

Tulane’s Department of Orthopaedics

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

American Orthopaedic Association – Resources for Residents and Students

AMA FREIDA residency database

Resources for PM&R

Association of Academic Physiatrists Medical Student Career Advisors

Association of Academic Physiatrists Medical Student Resources

Association of Academic Physiatrists Medical Applying for Residency

Dr. Katrina D’Aquin can put you in touch with potential mentors.

Recommended Readings

Why Do Medical Students Choose Orthopaedics as a Career?

Factors Motivating Medical Students in Selecting a Career Specialty: Relevance for a Robust Orthopaedic Pipeline

Selecting the Best & Brightest: A Structured Approach to Orthopaedic Resident Selection

Resident Selection Beyond the United States Medical Licensing Examination

The Effect of Applicant Publication Volume on the Orthopaedic Residency Match

Survival Guide for the Orthopaedic Surgery Match

The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience

Optimizing the Orthopaedic Medical Student Rotation: Keys to Success for Students, Faculty and Residency Programs

Matching in Orthopaedic Surgery