The orthopaedic surgery residency program at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University provides a curriculum that prepares you for a successful career in orthopaedic surgery.
We prepare you for a career of lifelong learning by breaking the mold created by 20 years of formal education. We maximize training opportunities and foster continual growth through our approach:
Our residents do not merely observe our faculty members, nor do they practice unsupervised. Our approach to supervision allows you to learn through doing while we maintain a high standard of clinical care.
Residents are closely involved in patient care in all settings:
Residents see patients under the supervision of an attending physician, who is present in the clinic. Residents evaluate many of the patients first and formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan. Residents then present diagnoses and treatment plans to the attending physician, allowing for immediate feedback and relevant learning opportunities.
Residents are involved in all aspects of inpatient care. Residents will:
During your residency, you will attend conferences and meetings that take place on a given frequency.
Morning conferences take place each weekday and include:
6:30 to 6:45 a.m. Monday through Friday
The junior resident on call presents all after-hours orthopaedic consultations to medical school students, residents and faculty. Monday's conference covers all cases seen during the weekend, and Tuesday through Friday's conferences cover all cases seen during the previous night.
6:45 to 7:30 a.m. every Tuesday through Friday
This conference acts as the foundational didactic preparation for our residents before they take the Orthopaedic In-Training Exam (OITE) and American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part I Examination. This conference takes place as an interactive lesson or a didactic presentation. It is organized in a two-year rotating curriculum that covers all orthopaedic subspecialties, as well as basic science.
The curriculum conference also includes:
6:45 to 7:30 a.m. first Thursday of each month
During this closed meeting, we solicit feedback from residents in an open-discussion format. This feedback is extremely valuable to us, as we are constantly working to improve the residency program.
7 to 8 a.m. fourth Monday of each month
Residents present cases to faculty and fellow residents for discussion, focusing on opportunities for quality improvement.
All residents and faculty attend a monthly research committee meeting that takes place the second Monday of the month. During this meeting, we review all ongoing research and new project proposals. The committee:
7 to 8 a.m. third Monday of each month
A faculty member or designated resident presents challenging cases to medical school students, residents and faculty. The conference’s open-discussion format is intended to spark lively and educational debate.
On two Wednesdays each month, we gather for protected educational time. Afternoon conferences include:
5 to 6 p.m. first Wednesday of each month
Distinguished speakers deliver presentations to medical school students, residents, faculty and community physicians.
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. second Wednesday of each month
At this dinner meeting, residents, faculty and community orthopaedic surgeons discuss current and clinically relevant published research. Each subspecialty team chooses and electronically distributes articles for review before the meeting. This conference challenges the attendees to think critically and teaches evidence-based learning skills.
During your residency, you will attend annual academic conferences hosted by our department:
Each winter, we invite a nationally recognized sports medicine surgeon to the Augusta GreenJackets Stadium for an interactive conference on hot topics in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. We invite orthopaedic surgery faculty and residents from Eisenhower Army Medical Center and Palmetto Heath–University of South Carolina Medical Group as well as community orthopaedic surgeons and alumni.
Every year in November, we invite a nationally recognized pediatric orthopaedic surgeon to lead interactive sessions of didactic lectures and case presentations. These lectures and case presentations cover important topics within the field of pediatric orthopaedics. We invite orthopaedic surgery residents and faculty from Augusta University and Eisenhower Army Medical Center, as well as community pediatricians and orthopaedic surgeons.
Each spring, we invite a nationally recognized spine surgeon to present on importation topics within the field of spine surgery. The two-day symposium involves didactic lectures from the invited speaker and local spine surgeons as well as interactive case presentations by the residents.
We invite orthopaedic surgery faculty from Augusta University Eisenhower Army Medical Center and Palmetto Heath–University of South Carolina Medical Group. We also invite Augusta University neurosurgery residents and faculty, community orthopaedic surgeons and alumni.
Each spring, we invite a nationally recognized orthopaedic clinician-scientist to present their research interests and accomplishments. They also offer advice on how to balance clinical and research responsibilities.
Chief residents present a summary of their research accomplishments for consideration for the Monroe Levine Resident Research Award. We present this award at the end-of-year graduation ceremony. PGY-3 residents also present a project, allowing them to receive feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Each year in June, we invite a nationally recognized speaker or distinguished alumnus to lead the academic portion of our graduation celebration. The format typically consists of several lectures delivered by the visiting professor and interactive case presentations by the residents. Residents, faculty and program graduates attend.
We offer financial support to residents so they can attend national courses:
To speak with a representative from our orthopaedic surgery residency program, please contact our program coordinator:
Shannon Williford
706-721-1633
