The five-year Orthopedic Surgery Residency includes didactic and research training, along with extensive clinical experience. You gradually assume increasing responsibility for patient care and participate in trauma management throughout the entire residency.

Your clinical training covers all subspecialty areas of orthopedics, including:

• Adult reconstruction and knee surgery
• Foot and ankle surgery
• Hand surgery
• Microvascular surgery
• Orthopedic oncology
• Orthopedic trauma
• Pediatric orthopedics
• Shoulder and elbow surgery
• Spine surgery
• Sports medicine

Rotation schedule

Rotation descriptions

Non-orthopedic rotations

During the first year of the Orthopedic Surgery Residency, you have six months in non-orthopedic rotations that help you develop knowledge and skills in areas associated with orthopedics. These rotations include:

• General Surgery/Acute Care Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Musculoskeletal Radiology
• Anesthesia
• Emergency Medicine 

Off-site rotations

Three of the rotations during the five-year residency are at off-campus locations:

• Orthopedic Trauma Surgery (PGY 2 and PGY 5) — UF Health Jacksonville
• Orthopedic Spine (PGY 3) — Mayo Clinic, Rochester
• Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery (PGY 2 through PGY 5) — Wolfson Children’s Hospital/Nemours Children’s Clinic

Surgical rotations

During their PGY-2 through PGY-5 years, residents rotate through nine orthopedic subspecialties: Foot and Ankle Surgery, Hand and Microvascular Surgery, Orthopedic Oncology, Orthopedic Trauma, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Reconstruction, Spine Surgery, Sports Medicine, and Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.

Throughout each rotation, residents are actively engaged in comprehensive operative and nonoperative care of patients with a wide range of orthopedic conditions, including fractures; fracture nonunions and malunions; tendon disorders; post-traumatic, degenerative, and inflammatory arthritis; limb deformities; neuromuscular disorders; developmental disorders; peripheral nerve injuries; congenital differences, metabolic conditions, and sports related injuries and conditions.

Our program ensures that residents receive extensive education and clinical exposure to all facets of orthopedic surgery, equipping them with the skills necessary to evaluate, manage, and treat any orthopedic disorder and prepare for a successful career in orthopedic surgery.  A primary focus of this residency is the successful preparation for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part 1 and Part 2 certification examinations and to prepare the resident for a fellowship in the orthopedic subspecialty of their choosing. 

Electives

As a senior resident, you'll have the opportunity to spend three months on an elective rotation. Your options include:

• Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota — gain experience in orthopedic spine surgery
  Nemours Children's Clinic within Wolfson Children's Hospital at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida — a large, academically-oriented pediatric practice that provides experience with all aspects of pediatric orthopedic care
• UF Health in Jacksonville for more experience in orthopedic trauma surgery
• Shoulder and elbow surgery
• Orthopedic oncology
• Joint reconstruction
• Hand and microsurgery
• Foot and ankle surgery
• Orthopedic sports medicine

Didactic training

Our orthopedic surgery residency program offers a comprehensive and structured schedule of educational conferences, lectures, and hands-on learning sessions designed to provide trainees with in-depth knowledge and skills across all subspecialties of orthopedics. These sessions take place on a regular basis, ensuring ongoing exposure to current practices, clinical case discussions, and research advancements.
 
The weekly conferences cover a variety of orthopedic topics. Trauma and basic science didactics are held biweekly on Mondays at our Mayo Clinic Florida (MCF) campus. Tuesdays are dedicated to Adult Reconstruction, while Wednesday's feature Pediatric Orthopedics at the Nemours site, along with Musculoskeletal Oncology and Spine sessions, with the latter conducted virtually from the Rochester site. Hand Surgery and Foot and Ankle conferences are offered biweekly on Thursdays, followed by Sports Medicine and Shoulder/Elbow sessions every other Friday at MCF.
 
Additionally, the program includes a monthly Safety Conference with Morbidity/Mortality reviews, quarterly Grand Rounds and Invited Lecture Series, as well as hands-on Surgical Skills Lab sessions. Journal Club meetings, rotating by division, also occur monthly, providing a collaborative platform for in-depth discussion of recent literature. These diverse learning opportunities create a well-rounded educational experience for residents, fostering both clinical and academic excellence.

Call frequency

The resident’s call schedule is different for each rotation. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science follows the recommendations of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Research training

Residents will have numerous opportunities for research collaboration during each service rotation. Faculty members are committed to providing research opportunities and support tailored to the trainee’s specialty of interest. Additionally, our Regenerative Medicine Division has a significant presence in research, offering residents excellent opportunities for collaboration.

Teaching opportunities

A collaborative teaching atmosphere fosters a culture of continuous learning and mutual support among all trainees. Mentoring and the ability to understand and teach new skills to others are crucial, as they reinforce knowledge, develop communication skills, and provide leadership experience. Residents will have the opportunity to teach medical students from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, as well as allied health trainees, plastic surgery residents, and advanced practice provider students.

Evaluation

Mentorship

Clinical rotations are spent with members of Mayo Clinic's Orthopedic Surgery Faculty. You work one-on-one with faculty members to deliver patient care.

Individualized instruction, patterned to your interests and needs, develops as a natural extension of this daily interaction. The rotations result in a rapid progression of responsibilities.

Educational activities, conferences, and clinical research projects derive from these day-to-day interactions with patients and faculty members. You develop skills based on the challenges posed by busy, complex, and diverse individual clinical practices.