We had a site visit last spring and the RRC had several citations which is normal for any site visit. We addressed their citations in our response, but they were still concerned with the paucity of spinal trauma that our residents are exposed to in NYC (and which many programs around the country are experiencing).

Therefore, we have proactively addressed this concern by adding a spine trauma rotation at Shock Trauma beginning July 1, 2007 (so we will have 1 PG-3 2-month rotation at Shock in Spine trauma and 1 PG-4 2-month rotation at Shock on the General Trauma service).

We feel that this will give our residents world-class exposure to spine trauma and certainly address the concerns of the RRC. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding this issue.

William N. Levine, MD
Vice Chairman and Associate Professor
Residency Director
Columbia University Orthopaedic Surgery
New York, NY