The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at the University of Arizona graduated our first resident in 1973 and today has 100+ alumni. With a culture focused on collaboration, growth and improvement to optimize patient care, we are constantly evolving to meet resident needs through regular and constructive feedback!
At a Glance
- 5-year program
- Admits 4 residents per year
- Rotations of 2 - 3 months
- No fellows: full focus on residents
Click the headers below for more information.
We are set up primarily as a mentorship residency, with one-on-one learning with the attending to allow for a great operative and clinical learning experience.
Our fundamental educational rationale is that residents mentor on each specialty as both a junior and senior resident.
For example, as PGY2, you mentor with one hand specialist for 3 months, then do so again with another hand specialist as a PGY4.
In this way, not only do our residents get great early operative experience, they also develop the full skill set of medical decision-making.
The University of Arizona Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is committed to the recruitment, mentorship, retention and promotion of diverse residents, faculty and staff.
We recognize that our creativity, success and growth are enriched by giving equal voice and respect to those of all orientations, ethnicities, faiths and genders.
We are striving to build a department as diverse and inclusive as the patients we serve and the world we live in. Today, more than half of our residents are either female or from an underrepresented racial minority.
We are also committed to mentoring our residents on important issues around diversity, equity and inclusion. As part of our work toward that goal, six of our annual Grand Rounds presentations are dedicated to DEI in Orthopedics.
Banner Health Care serves as the clinical partner for the orthopedic residency program and the University of Arizona overall:
- Banner University Medical Center-Tucson (BUMC-T) serves as the primary site for the orthopaedic residency
- Banner University Medical Center-South Campus (BUMC-S) serves as an additional clinical training site
- Outpatient clinics are based out of the "North Hills" and "Alvernon" locations of our Banner - University Medicine Multispecialty Services Clinics, as well as the Orthopaedics Clinic at Banner - University Medical Center South
For an opportunity to experience private practice, there are rotations throughout the residency with community partners in Tucson.
There are also two out of town rotations:
- 3-month rotation in pediatrics at Shriners Children's Salt Lake City in conjunction with the University of Utah in Salt Lake City
- As a PGY5, an orthopaedic oncology rotation at Phoenix Children's Hospital and HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center in association with HonorHealth
Our five-year program features rotations of two to three months, which we believe allows residents to develop relationships of trust and apprenticeship with their mentors.
PGY - I
- 3 Months Orthopaedic Trauma
- 3 Months Adult Orthopaedics
- 1 Month Surgical Skills Training
- 1 Month Emergency Medicine
- 1 Month Acute Care General Surgery
- 1 Month Musculoskeletal Radiology
- 1 Month Vascular Surgery
- 1 Month Plastic Surgery
PGY - II
- Hand
- Pediatrics (Shriners Children's Salt Lake City)
- General Adult Orthopaedics
- Trauma
PGY - III
- Spine
- Foot & Ankle
- Trauma
- Sports
PGY - IV
- Adult Reconstruction
- Shoulder/Community
- Hand
- Pediatrics
PGY - V
- Sports
- Trauma
- Tumor (Phoenix Children's Hospital, HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center)
- Adult Reconstruction
Example of a typical weekly conference schedule.
Tuesday
6:30 a.m. - Clinical Specialties Conference
Various specialties, emphasizing indications and planning
Wednesday
7:00 a.m.Grand Rounds Conference Presentation (Faculty)
8:00 a.m. Resident Case Presentations
Thursday - Trauma Conference
6:30 a.m. - Fracture Conference
Journal Club (3rd Thursdays monthly)