Orthopedic Surgery Residency Columbia - Curriculum

Orthopedic surgery educational experiences

Throughout the five years of the orthopedic surgery residency, residents communicate and collaborate with the faculty at all times. Through this intimate working relationship, the practice of orthopedics is conducted in a competent, compassionate, transcultural and ethical manner. This is done by example, repetition and adherence to the principle of serving our patients.

Residency year one

During the first year, orthopedic residents remain under the direction of the orthopedic department but learn basic orthopedic and general trauma care by working closely within the special areas of medicine involved in orthopedic care. Off-service rotations include trauma surgery, surgery trauma intensive care unit, plastic surgery and radiology. PGY-1 residents have seven months of orthopedic surgery and spend one month each on joints, spine, foot and ankle, sports, pediatrics and two months on ortho-trauma.

Residency years two and three

Our junior residents are active members of the orthopedic team and assume increasing responsibilities in operative and non-operative care of orthopedic patients. The residents have a two-year clinical curriculum with three-month rotations on sports, pediatrics, trauma, hand, spine, general, joints, and foot and ankle. This allows excellent exposure to all orthopedic sub-specialties and affords them a foundation on which to choose a sub-specialty fellowship, if desired. In addition, during the PGY-3 year, our residents rotate for 6 weeks in tumor surgery at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, SC. Junior residents are also integral members of our annual anatomy review from January to March.

Residency years four and five

Our senior residents experience progressive responsibility and autonomy as their orthopedic knowledge base and surgical skills increase. They assume increasing teaching responsibilities as they lead fracture conference, OITE review, anatomy review, and supervise junior residents and medical students. The two-year (three-month block) clinical curricula are repeated during their senior years with exposure to sports, pediatrics, trauma, hand, spine, general, joints and foot and ankle. During these years the program encourages exposure to international orthopedic care with elective rotations in Haiti.

Sports medicine

Prisma Health Orthopedics is the hub of the collaborative effort between the Prisma Health and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine's Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Our team of physicians and therapists provides care for the athletes of several universities, including the University of South Carolina, as well as many local high schools and the Columbia City Ballet. Residents are encouraged to become involved in the care of athletes of all ages and are given opportunities to care for their own high school. In addition to working with the sports medicine faculty on up-to-date arthroscopic and sports medicine procedures, each resident is sent to an arthroscopy course twice a year to strengthen his or her arthroscopic skills.