Orthopaedic residency rotations in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center are designed to fulfill the general and specific requirements for orthopaedic residency according to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). During the course of five years, our residents receive graduated exposure to a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.

Orthopaedic trauma is the focus of the year two (PGY II) resident rotations. All six residents spend the entire year at Parkland Memorial Hospital on several of the orthopaedic services, several of which include large numbers of orthopaedic trauma patients. Additionally, PGY II residents rotate on the Sports Medicine, Adult Reconstruction, Spine, Hand and Upper Extremity, and Foot and Ankle services.

Clinic Rotations Highlight PGY III

The PGY III resident rotations include a six-month block on the pediatric orthopaedic services, as well as rotations at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center and on the Spine Service at Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Parkland Health & Hospital System.

The PGY IV resident rotations include time on the Sports Medicine Service, as well as the Foot and Ankle, Night Float, Joint Reconstruction, Hand, and Spine Services.

PGY V resident rotations include time on the trauma service at Parkland Health & Hospital System, the VA Medical Center, New Zealand, Switzerland and chosen electives.

During the course of four years, each resident spends approximately 12–18 months on adult orthopaedics, 9–12 months on pediatric orthopaedics, and 18 months in orthopaedic trauma. Regarding subspecialty exposure, an equal amount of time is spent in spine, hand, foot and ankle, sports, and oncology/amputation services.

Balanced, Comprehensive Education

The UT Southwestern University Hospitals and associated outpatient facilities provide our residents with ample exposure to a wide variety of elective orthopaedics surgery in a private practice type setting. Parkland Health & Hospital System and Children’s Health℠ Children's Medical Center Dallas each have a Level I trauma center and provide approximately 65–70 percent of orthopaedic trauma services in the greater Dallas area. Scottish Rite for Children has numerous world-renowned pediatric orthopaedists, all of whom are full-time UT Southwestern faculty and provide care to a great number of children from across the country.

The Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center has a large adult outpatient population as well as an active inpatient reconstructive service. This balance between elective orthopaedic patients cared for at UT Southwestern University Hospitals and orthopaedic trauma patients cared for at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Children’s Medical Center, and pediatric orthopaedics at Scottish Rite for Children, allows the Department to provide a broad and comprehensive education to orthopaedic residents.

The UT Southwestern Orthopaedic Residency Program is the only University-based orthopaedic training program in Dallas. It is in a unique position to take advantage of the ample orthopaedic resources and opportunities that this growing metropolitan area has to offer. While the UT Southwestern program has always been known on a national level for its work in orthopaedic trauma and pediatric orthopaedics, recent changes over the past five years have increased its recognition as a well-rounded training program in each of the orthopaedic subspecialties as we continue to build upon the future of medicine, today.