Curriculum

The curriculum is divided into a two-year cycle which allows each resident to see the cycle twice as they proceed through their PGY1 to PGY5 years. Relieved of clinical duties, residents attend 3-hour core orthopaedic conferences every Thursday, which are supplemented by subspecialty-specific conferences correlating to rotations throughout the week.

Monthly Schedule

  • First Thursday
    • PEC – faculty
    • Resident Administrative Time
    • Resident/PD
    • Resident OITE Review
  • Second Thursday
    • Grand Rounds
    • Subspecialty Teaching
  • Third Thursday
    •  M&M
    • Subspecialty Teaching
  • Fourth Thursday
    • Subspecialty Teaching
    • Every 2 months – Visiting Professor

Didactic Conferences, Basic Science, Indications, Problem Fractures, Cadaveric Sessions

Didactic conferences are presented by an attending, fellow or assigned resident on a rotating basis. Attendings and upper level residents quiz junior residents giving them experience in presentation style and allowing them to begin determining appropriate evaluations, laboratory, x-ray workups and treatment options.  Practice management topics are included to cover issues that residents will deal with outside of the usual medical knowledge required for patient care (e.g. coding, billing, contracts and office management).

  • Basic Science – follows the AAOS textbook on basic science.
  • Trauma didactic lectures – fellow/resident rotating on the service is responsible for arranging one or more representative case presentations and short review of the current literature on that topic.
  • Anatomy – The anatomy sessions are taught through the use of cadaveric dissection labs. Various anatomic regions are covered in the regular rotation throughout the year. Emphasis is placed on the surgical approaches of the region as well as the surrounding anatomical structures.

M&M

This monthly conference serves as a peer review quality control for MHHS-TMC and LBJ-HCHD Hospital.  All complications are reviewed under the supervision of the Chairman of the Department.  Recommendations for avoiding problems in the future are made by the faculty and residents in attendance.  All M&M cases are recorded in accordance with hospital policy.

Visiting Professors

Each subspecialty will invite a speaker to present throughout the year. Topics are of a clinical nature or research interest to highlight current approaches or new technology.  It is common to have community orthopedists present or health care workers from other departments.  This generally is a CME accredited time block.

Trauma Morning Fracture Conference and Sign-Out Rounds

This conference is held daily at 6:00am to efficiently transition the continuity of care to the incoming trauma team.  The conference is attended by the trauma service team which includes the upper and lower level residents, the trauma fellow and trauma staff.  Classification systems are discussed as well as treatment options.

Wednesday Afternoon Trauma Conference

Trauma conference is held on Wednesday afternoons and is attended by orthopaedic trauma faculty, residents, fellows and medical students.  Review is made of the inpatient service of orthopaedic trauma patients including initial evaluation, work-up (to include pre-op planning), treatment operative vs. nonoperative and on-going care and rehabilitation issues.

Journal Clubs

Monthly journal clubs are held by each subspecialty and attended by the residents on that rotation.  Faculty, residents and fellows attend. These sessions are used to develop the residents’ abilities to critically evaluate medical literature and research, support continuing education, and promote awareness of newer methods in research.