In an orthopaedic training program, the goal is to give residents the opportunity to become knowledgeable, acquire appropriate surgical technique, to be empathetic toward patients, and to become efficient both in professional and personal life. In achieving these goals, the residents must develop an ethical attitude that is above reproach. Honesty is the best policy, and without it the system fails. A failed system is easily recognized by the limited achievements of the faculty and the graduates of the program. Physicians participate unselfishly in order to fulfill obligations to professional organizations, to complete clinical and laboratory research, to perform peer review, and to participate in teaching.
Time passes quickly.
If the resident is to participate in and complete a project during training, the initial effort should be made during the first year of training. An effort to complete the project, or to do additional projects, should continue over the remaining training years. Faculty should be available both to encourage the resident and to participate in the clinical and laboratory research projects. These are commendable goals, but should not replace the completion of a project and a published paper. The latter are critical to accumulating information and to making this data available to our current and future colleagues.