Resident education is an important part of the academic commitment of faculty and staff of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. A comprehensive conference schedule has been developed to enhance the educational experience of the residents and to cover all aspects of the specialty areas within orthopaedic surgery. During the Spring of the fourth year, each resident presents a clinical or a basic research project. The resident is exposed to hand surgery from two sources. The first is during rotations at the University Hospital, since the Orthopaedic service takes hand call every other day.
Injuries range from simple fingertip amputations to complex industrial trauma.
The junior resident manages minor injuries within the Emergency Department under the guidance of a senior resident of an attending physician. The hand service, headed by John Wyrick, M.D. , also includes exposure to soft tissue coverage and microsurgery which is performed in conjunction with the Plastic Surgery service and rotating Hand Surgery fellows. A more formal exposure occurs during a three-month PGY 3 rotation with Hand Surgery Specialists, a private group comprising of six hand surgeons. A large volume of hand problems is encountered in the clinic and operating room. The resident is on call every fourth night.