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.
