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University of Arizona

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12 August 2007
21.23K
8.2 (6)

User reviews

9-10 stars
67%
7-9 stars
17%
5-7 stars
0%
3-5 stars
17%
0-3 stars
0%
Overall rating
8.2
Staff Surgeons
8.5 (6)
Didactics/Teaching
8.3 (6)
Operating Experience
9.3 (6)
Clinical Experience
9.0 (6)
Research
6.7 (6)
Residents
8.5 (6)
Lifestyle
8.0 (6)
Location
7.2 (6)
Overall Experience
8.3 (6)
D db
9.2
25 August 2015

Top program.

Staff Surgeons
10.0
Didactics/Teaching
9.0
Operating Experience
10.0
Clinical Experience
10.0
Research
8.0
Residents
9.0
Lifestyle
9.0
Location
8.0
Overall Experience
10.0

Program Review

Staff / Faculty / Chairman
John Ruth is Chaiman and he was like a second father to me. He is one of the most genuine and kind people I know. Each attending in this program taught me something very meaningful while I was there and I still call them for advice. The majority of the attendings are wildly talented and great teachers. They bought us lead, a library and there is a book fund. DeSilva and Smith run the residency - which is central to the whole department. They have 3 PAs - two clinic, one floor. Never had to worry about cases. I did around 2300 cases in residency.
Didactics / Teaching
Many resident-run didactics. More and more attending led didactics. Santora from U of U visited for graduation last year. Fresh frozen cadaver lab anatomy class is led by chiefs and attendings. OITE review is weekly. When you are at U of U they have excellent didactics. Phoenix rotation 4th or 5th year is a community rotation and gives you time to study for ABOS. Grand rounds is Wednesday. Teaching is case based. Journal club is monthly. The attendings and residents pimp sometimes in conference. Mostly med students and interns - the learning curve is steep in ortho. The pimping is Socratic teaching, not malignant,
Operating Experience
You get early operative autonomy. This program is famous for that. The attends never abandon you, they simply trust you and teach you to know when to ask for help. They require perfection in the OR as does any program in the U.S. But they will let you struggle and find your way - as a senior they don't take the case until you ask them. As a 4th and 5th year you learn how to teach and you walk juniors through cases with attendings coaching. This is true of trauma which is what you mostly do in practice at first anyway.
Clinic Experience
Excellent. I think I learned the most in clinic - seeing patients alone and making decisions then staffing them with the attending. Clinic burden isn't cumbersome at all. They use Epic EMR as of 2014 when I graduated. SCM before that. You see patients and dictate. They do use dragon dictation. I went to lunch with attendings and MA's almost every clinic day. The clinic is located off site.
Research Opportunities
They require 1 project To be completed some time in the 5 years you're at the program. You do need some drive to do extra research because you operate a great deal. When I was there, the residents initiated research and did the work to get published. There is ample opportunity. They are working on hiring someone to do IRB and grant writing.
Residents
We were close like family in residency. We banded together and we had tons of fun. Resident caliber is high. No resident has ever voluntarily left the program. The program is friendly to women and people from all backgrounds. Honestly - this was one of the best things about residency - hanging out, teasing each other, playing jokes and being a close team. If you don't like the people you work with, any job will be tough. I was lucky enough to like them all. You work hard but the friendships and family atmosphere make it feel easy. We all wore stethoscopes in the the department photo one year, for example. I visited my co-resident when we were done with residency while we were in fellowship. It's open enough for you to get real time 360 negative and positive feedback so you can improve. Residents went on a faculty and resident camping trip in Pinetop every year. We had an annual paintball war that I went back to even after I graduated.
Lifestyle
There are 2 main hospitals: main and south campus. You take call at both as a senior and only at main as a junior (when I was there). You do 4 months of night float at Main; 2 as a PGY-2 and 2 as a PGY-3. The Program Director Dr. DeSilva genuinely believes in following work hours so the rotations are formatted to be in compliance. They have never been on prohibation. None of the call was paid when I was there. They have a resident library, 2 call rooms, and home access to imaging and EMR. You rarely operate much past 6pm unless you're in call and it's a true orthopaedic emergency.
Location / Housing
Tucson is a desert but it is cooler than Phoenix due to the elevation, but it gets pretty warm for about 3 months of the summer. We bought a 1700+ sqft house that was 15min from both hospitals. Our payment was about 1100$ per month and we sold it for 10k more than we bought it. So that wasn't bad at all. Tucson has mount Lemon to the north right by the city. Great cycling. The metro area has about 1 million people. Catchment is 2-3 million.
Limitations
They are working on getting more research infrastructure. They are also hiring more U of A hospital based attendings - but I think the experience we had there in sports, F&A and joints when I was there was top notch. Some of the other services struggle at U of A - such as general surgery and internal medicine. But overall I think they actually do a pretty good job considering.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
I ranked U of A number 1 and I would do it again. I think I've grown to appreciate my training more and more as I have gone on to become an attending. The issues they have are always addressed as best they can be and they really greaed the program to best serve the residents. I think the comradery and friendship amongst the residents and attendings made the 5 years I spent there some of the best of my life. I look back now with only fond memories.

Qualification

Qualification
I am an alumnus of this program.
Date of Rotation
2009-2014
Paintball annual games
Journal Club
0
JR Jack Ripper
3.6
13 August 2015

Low tier program in the southwest

Staff Surgeons
2.0
Didactics/Teaching
5.0
Operating Experience
7.0
Clinical Experience
7.0
Research
2.0
Residents
2.0
Lifestyle
3.0
Location
2.0
Overall Experience
2.0
Editor Note: The rating has been modified from the initial rating submitted by Jack Ripper of 1's because of comments by Jack Ripper that the rating was purposefully low to offset higher ratings and bring the overall rating to where the reviewer felt the program should be. The Editor does not feel this is appropriate use of the rating feature and has adjusted the ratings to be inline with the final ratings achieved by Jack Ripper use of all 1's. The entire review itself has been left intact as well as the discussion comments.

Program Review

Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Used to be a top notch program when Dr. Grana was chairman and Dr. Ruth was program director. After Dr. Grana stepped down (and unfortunately passed away), the culture in this program has been downhill. New faculty members are recents graduates of the program are malignant (most from east coast) and the direction of the program is heading in that direction. Malignant pimping is common and certainly not a laid back program. As a medical student from this place, there is very little motivation from program director to recruit or mentor students from U of A. Since number of Ortho programs are limited in the southwest, students from U of A are at a disadvantage when applying due to lack of support, ability to get letters or research opportunities. More students from Tucson, rotate at banner, since the atmosphere is friendlier and preference given to Arizona residents. The program director who took over after Dr. Ruth was promoted to chairman, openly is biased against students from Arizona and ranks students from East Coast schools to where he has connections (e.g. Georgetown) and has not matched any students from U of A the past two years even though we had many qualified students that matched at good programs outside of the state despite ranking U of A high. The faculty members are very bitter and don't like the recent circumstances with the surgery department (chairman ousted, lack of funding, new administration). They were openly against the chairman who was ousted (still was head of surgery when I was rotating) and that trickled down in terms of bitterness and lack of enthusiasm. Hopefully with the new administration that will change.
Didactics / Teaching
The only good thing about the program is that it is close knit and plenty of didactics and teaching within the program. Although M&Ms and resident presentations have some malignant pimping (mostly due to some of the faculty members), there are some good resident run teaching sessions.
Operating Experience
Another strong point is the residents are trained pretty well in the OR. Lot of freedom is given by the attendings. Disadvantage in terms of rotation is that your Peds rotation is done in Utah and Oncology is done in Phoenix, so if you are interested in those subspecialities you will have a poor experience since they are not part of the home institution.
Clinic Experience
Residents are given good independence and experience. Hand/Foot&Ankle/Trauma are strong specialities in this program and residents are trained well for those subspecialties.
Research Opportunities
Very poor. Some changes made with one foot and ankle attending that dedicates most of his time with research. The program tries to flaunt its research during away rotations with a dedicated Orthopedics surgery research lab. Due to poor funding, very few publications come out of the department and residents don't get a great experience compared to other programs. Not the fault of department for the current situation in terms of lack of funding.
Residents
While residents get along pretty well with each other, they are for the most part unhappy with the faculty members and experience at the program compared to their peers at other programs. The current program director is not responsive to their concerns and brushes off any recommendations made by residents by telling them to "deal with it". Significant change from when Dr. Ruth was program director when he was more responsive to resident concerns.
Lifestyle
Due to the small nature of the program, residents work harder than other programs with limited time to study for OITE. In addition, there is lack of PAs/NPs due to once again lack of funding forcing residents to do more scut work than usual.
Location / Housing
Not much to do in Tucson if you are around the area. Housing is extremely cheap (Can get a 3-4 bedroom condo at a really nice area in Catalina Foothills for 900-1000 dollars). Lack of fellowships around the area, makes it important for residents to make connections outside the state after finishing the residency. On the other hand, there is no fellow to fight over for cases (which the program tries really hard to emphasize during interview, although the real reason for lack of fellows is due to lack of funding).
Limitations
As a medical student from this institution, it is disappointing to have a program that completely dismisses or makes no effort in recruiting people from the home institution. Most residents that train tend not stay in arizona and further adds to shortage of physicians we have in this state. In addition, due to competitive nature of orthopaedics, I was forced to do aways at other instutions and work my but off to get chairman/PD letters that helped me secure a residency spot that I was unable to achieve at this institution (letter was given, but poor effort from them to get to know me in order to write an excellent letter). For residents matching here, Peds/Oncology training is probably one of the worst in the country since you go to another institution for it. If you are interested in those specialties, you will have to gain exposure in fellowship. The department is bitter due to lack of funding and in fighting between the Surgery department. No resident support from PD and although the chairman was good when he was PD, currently has winded down from his responsibilities with residents. The PD and Chairman does the rank list and completely ignores the comments or recommendations from other faculty members. So as long as you can impress them, you can match and have a good time during the residency. Burn bridges with them (especially the PD), you will have a miserable time. Some residents have dropped out of the program for multiple unknown reasons the past few years (mostly due to the malignant nature of the program and significant shakeups within the surgery program).
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
The student rotation is very important part of them ranking you if you rotate. I rotated through 2 (2 week) rotations that are chosen randomly. There is any 30-40? question MC (poorly written test) that heavily weighs on the final rotation grade. The whole rotation is not useful and it is quite stupid that the poorly written test can determine your grade. You also have to do a presentation in front of attendings (with some malignant pimping) that always will affect your grade. You also get to do nothing in the OR as a student and are just shadowing as opposed to other away rotations around the country where I learned more and had more OR/clinic responsibilities. I didn't even suture once during this rotation. As my first rotation, I got very little experience and made it difficult for other aways after (e.g. suturing). Overall, if you have great stats and aren't from this institution, I would highly recommend not doing an away, since it can more likely hurt you rather than help you. (many residents from past did not do a rotation here). If you are from this institution, due to the preference of the PD you are at complete disadvantage of matching here regardless of your stats. (you have a better chance of matching at Banner in Phx which is ironic). The quality and experience of the residents are getting worse every year and only way the program will get to the point where it was when Dr. Grana was chairman is change in PD/Chairman and culture of the program.

Qualification

Qualification
I rotated as a medical student at this program
Date of Rotation
07/2013
Updated 25 August 2015
9
FR Flynn Rowan
9.3
3 February 2014

Would Rank #1 again without question

Staff Surgeons
10.0
Didactics/Teaching
9.0
Operating Experience
10.0
Clinical Experience
10.0
Research
8.0
Residents
10.0
Lifestyle
9.0
Location
9.0
Overall Experience
9.0

Program Review

Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Small program, with staff and faculty like family. Chariman, Dr. Ruth (Trauma) is approachable, supportive, and a great teacher. The Trauma service is the "heart" of the program. Its a busy service, with the opportunity to operate. As you become more comfortable with procedures, you do more and more independently (Nails as a 2, articular work as a 3, etc...) with appropriate autonomy.
Didactics / Teaching
Didactics are split between attending and resident led. There has been a push to increase the number of visiting professors for Grand Rounds recently, both from in the community and from outside. Lectures are on a variety of subjects spanning all fields Trauma conference every week with residents presenting cases, and Attendings "pimping" and teaching. Once a month, trauma attending provides formal presentation. Resident conferences are somewhat seasonal, with OITE review, Anatomy didactic/dissection, Sports Med Lectures occuring at different points throughout the year. Department pays for 1-2 courses/conferences per year, and funding is fairly easy to come by if there are other courses you are interested in.
Operating Experience
Top notch. You won't find a program with operating experience much better than Arizona. We operate early and often, and because of the mentorship style of rotations, there's very little "double scrubbing"...typically just you and the attending.
Clinic Experience
Clinic is clinic, we do enough but not too much.
Research Opportunities
Research is available. Traditionally has been a weakness, and still is, though this is getting better each year. Most residents are involved in a few projects and are routinely accepted for presentations at nationwide conferences. MD/PhD faculty who always has multiple projects (basic science, anatomic, clinical) going, so there's always something to do. Department paid trips for any research presentations that are accepted.
Residents
Great group of people from all over the country. Was one of the selling points when I rotated here as a student. Culture of teaching among the residents, with seniors teaching juniors, juniors teaching interns, etc... When I rotated as a med student, residents let me reduce wrists, and even a hip. A requirement to match here is that you work hard, enjoy life, and can laugh at yourself.
Lifestyle
Tucson is a very big small town. Don't expect everything that a very large city will have, but the weather is great year-round, with plenty of outdoor activities. Phoenix is 90 minutes away for shopping, concerts, sports etc...
Location / Housing
Housing is easily affordable, traffic is non-existent.
Limitations
Small program means everyone has to pick up some slack on vacations...but that also means that everyone else has your back when you need time. As stated above, research and didactics are not strengths, but have improved and continue to improve.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
If you ask any resident here if they would come back if they had to do it all over again, we'd all say absolutely yes.

Qualification

Qualification
I am a current resident of this program.
Date of Rotation
June 2011- Present
Updated 1 December 2013
0
JS Jared Smith
9.1
2 November 2012

By far the best program I've been at

Staff Surgeons
10.0
Didactics/Teaching
8.0
Operating Experience
10.0
Clinical Experience
9.0
Research
7.0
Residents
10.0
Lifestyle
9.0
Location
9.0
Overall Experience
10.0

Program Review

Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Great mix of younger and older attendings who are all incredibly enthusiastic about the program and teaching residents. Trauma guys are rock stars and the chairman Dr. Ruth is the biggest reason many of the former residents came back to take attending positions. The program is set up as a mentorship model--with a very unique relationship between residents and attendings that result in an awesome learning environment. They recently hired a new spine guy and are looking to hire some more sports guys.
Didactics / Teaching
About an hour of didactics is scheduled 5 days a week with guest lectures, attending lectures, visiting lectures, and some resident run conferences. I rotated through the program just before the residents were scheduled to take the OITE exam so most of the resident conferences were focused on OITE review questions.
Operating Experience
This is one of the most attractive aspects of the program. Being so close to the Mexican border (and it's border fence), brings in patients with very interesting pathology and a high volume of "fall from height" injuries. Also there is a huge number of pedestrian struck injuries, which the residents attribute to the sparsity of street lamps in the city. This leads to tons of trauma that the interns get to do. Also they are changing the schedule so that interns will get 6 months on the ortho service. There was not an ortho intern on service during my rotation but in talking to the residents, they get you in the OR early and often as an intern. Aside from the quantity of OR time, the environment is unlike any other place I have rotated at. Most attendings set up an environment that is fun, while doing awesome work, and teaching as much as possible (many times from the sideline--not even scrubbing while the resident does the whole case) As an MS4 I was first assist with the residency director as well as with a few of the trauma guys.
Clinic Experience
Great clinics at multiple locations through town.
Research Opportunities
Research is not emphasized by the program however there are great research labs available if interested.
Residents
The most attractive aspect of this program--the residents were phenomenal. Great group of guys and girls who made me excited to come to the hospital every day. They have an infectious working sense of humor and just really seem to enjoy being there. Although I'm told they don't hang out outside of the hospital as much as they used to, they still get dinner and drinks after Monday evening conference. There is a good mix of married single residents probably leaning a little more on the married side.
Lifestyle
Like all programs residents get worked. That being said it is a very cool non hostile environment that the residents seem to be happy in. There is a night float system which works well. Pediatric rotation is done in Utah (4 months during second year) which can be tough if you have family/kids in Tucson. Otherwise this is by far the happiest group of residents I have worked with.
Location / Housing
This was my first time to the desert and I really didnt' know what to expect, but I was really impressed with the city. Although there is about a million people there, it feels like a small town. There is a ton of stuff to do outdoors and a good college town feel for night life / sporting events. Less than a 2 hour drive to Phoenix, but not much around other than that.
Limitations
This is not a research powerhouse which some may view as a limitation. I have not experienced it but have been told that the summers there are oppressively hot!!!
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
This was by far the best program that I rotated at. Residents are happy, well trained, and well treated. I will be ranking this number 1.

Qualification

Qualification
I rotated as a medical student at this program
Date of Rotation
2012
Updated 1 January 2012
0
OG Ortho Gonal
9.6
21 May 2010

One of the best programs in the US

Staff Surgeons
10.0
Didactics/Teaching
10.0
Operating Experience
10.0
Clinical Experience
10.0
Research
8.0
Residents
10.0
Lifestyle
10.0
Location
8.0
Overall Experience
10.0
The residents are by far the most competent I have ever seen. They can run a clinic and take trauma call independently by the 4th year. Most PGY-4 residents can do a TKA in about 45 minutes as the primary surgeon, 30 minute ankle ORIF without an attending even scrubbed. One resident did a short nail in 15 minutes and it was perfect. Their attendings really trust them and let them have a ton of autonomy and back up justified clinical decisions. They treat residents like friends rather than employees.

Program Review

Staff / Faculty / Chairman
John Ruth - Famous Trauma Surgeon, ABOS Board examiner Greg DeSilva - Hand Surgeon
Didactics / Teaching
Monday evening: resident/OITE Tuesday AM: Hand Conf. Wednesday am: Grand Rounds Thursday am: Fracture Conf. Friday am: Sports Conf.
Operating Experience
Up to 30 cases a month as an intern You will learn to operate independently and quickly by PGY-4 Never battle for cases, you're a 1st scrub starting as an intern and by the 4th year youre running your own room.
Clinic Experience
Off site clinic very nice. Not too busy. Done by 3-4 most days.
Research Opportunities
This is a weakness - they need a full time orthopaedic research assistant who actually does IRB paperwork and collects data in clinic. They have a part time worker but she cant do all that yet. You have to do one presentable project by PGY-5. Youre expected to do a systems based study PGY-1 but they are pretty chill with enforcing that.
Residents
Hard working, nice, hilarious, and smart. They take 3 per year.
Lifestyle
Totally chill intern year with the new work hour rules. Home call is at a level 3 trauma center (Formerly Kino)
Location / Housing
Housing in Tucson is very affordable. Most residents own homes, some even walking distance from campus. Commutes are fast nomatter where you live.
Limitations
Sports - New sports attg. who is really good and a foot and ankle guy who moonlights as a sports surgeon, boarded in F&A but did a sports fellowship. They do over a year of trauma total rotations. Every PGY except for 4. Need a full time Joints guy They need to have 4 residents per year. 3 super-residents is great but 4 great residents with research time would be better. Coverage hard when folks are up out of town.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
This is the best place I rotated. Ranking #1.

Qualification

Qualification
I rotated as a medical student at this program
Date of Rotation
10/2009
Updated 31 January 2013
0

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