Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine

The Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center offers a five-year residency training program fulfilling requirements leading to eligibility for certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Fully-accredited by the ACGME, the program accepts 6 residents annually for a program of study which includes a PGY 1 general surgery internship and 4 additional years of orthopaedic surgery residency training.

The program provides a well-balanced, in-depth clinical exposure, utilizing rotations at five affiliated institutions. In addition to University Hospital of Brooklyn, residents rotate at Brookdale University Medical Center, Harborview Brooklyn VA Hospital, Kings County Medical Center, Long Island College Hospital, and Staten Island University Hospital.

The internship year is designed to provide a solid foundation for the study of orthopaedic surgery. Rotations include trauma, pediatric surgery, burns, orthopaedic surgery, transplant, radiology, rheumatology, and neurosurgery among others. The PGY 2-5 years incorporate increased patient care and surgical responsibilities affording exposure to a variety of facets of orthopaedic practice. Extensive hands-on operative experience begins early in the residency with broad based exposure to all sub-specialties.

With research as an integral part of the program, residents are required to complete a comprehensive research project prior to graduation. To aid residents in this endeavor, they are presented with multiple opportunities to conduct research with the assistance of members of the orthopaedic research laboratory. Whether clinical or laboratory-based, completed projects should be eligible for presentation to the orthopaedic, scientific community and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

To compliment the clinical experience, regular academic and didactic conferences occur. Residents do not have clinical responsibilities during scheduled conferences. Monday afternoons are devoted to resident teaching. Didactic conferences, held on a weekly basis throughout the year include lectures by visiting professors, the orthopaedic faculty and faculty members of other departments, such as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Nuerosurgery and Radiology. Grand Rounds are held weekly at SUNY Downstate and serve the dual purpose of educating our residents while providing a venue to share current information with other orthopaedic surgeons as well as the medical community. We have weekly indications conferences and monthly mortality and morbidity conferences in addition to monthly journal clubs.

One unique aspect of the SUNY Downstate Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program is the opportunity to perform medical missionary work in a variety of locations. Past trips have included Honduras, Jamaica, Guyana, and most recently, Nicaragua. Click here for coverage of the Nicaragua trip.

• Roster of Current Residents

• Alumni - Fellowship Listing

For more information about the residency program, please
call 718-270-8995 or email orthosurg@downstate.edu.