Ascension Macomb Oakland

Faculty / Attendings 
The program at Ascension St John is unique in that it has both an MD and DO orthopedic surgery residency program (DO program with initial ACGME accreditation).  The faculty is ~ 50/50 MD/DO split and the programs are run as a hybrid by program directors Benjamin Best DO and David Markel MD.  Faculty train all residents across both programs 

Faculty includes well published and fellowship trained physicians.  Many trained at academic medical centers including HSS, Rush, and Wake Forest.  Areas emphasized include trauma, sports, and joints.  

Education 

Weekly didactics that consist of one full morning session and cover the programs longitudinal core curriculum 

Trauma conference:  Held Thursday mornings while on trauma service (conducted at a level 1 trauma center St John Hospital and Medical Center).  Active and upcoming cases discussed with fellowship trained trauma faculty 

Joints / sports conference:  Held Thursday mornings while on joints/sports service.  Active and upcoming cases discussed with fellowship trained joint and sports faculty 

Anatomy Lab:  Run by junior residents during the summer months.  Goes over relevant MSK gross and surgical anatomy 

Monthly orthopedic surgery educational conference (COGMET) held through the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Statewide Campus System 

Bi-monthly journal club

Operative Experience 

Excellent.  Early operative involvement for interns.  Senior residents given independence for cases.  Seniors confident in OR and prioritize teaching juniors (residents extend this toward students)

Clinical Experience 

Clinics are busy and several are located at the programs’s main teaching sites in SE Michigan through the Ascension system.  They are usually led by fellowship trained attendings.  Junior residents and students are involved early in clinical care.

Research  

Many attendings were trained at academic medical centers.  This carries over to their current work and there are several opportunities available to join new or existing research  projects. 

Residents 

The MD and DO programs exist as a hybrid and the residents work as such.  Strong camaraderie exists amongst the residency classes and the training environment is supportive.   

lifestyle 
Call is split amongst the residency classes with senior backup.  Call is tied to the service the resident is currently on.

Location  

Metro Detroit 

-  Good mix of suburb and city type living

Overall Student Experience  

Strong.  A valuable experience as a student with good operative / clinical exposure.