At the University of Iowa’s Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, we take pride in shaping residents into well-rounded, insightful orthopedic surgeons who excel in both clinical practice and research.
Each year, we welcome seven new residents into our five-year training program, which consistently graduates skilled orthopedic surgeons. Our program draws exceptional candidates from across the country, reflecting a rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences.
Located in a vibrant yet close-knit Midwestern city, our residency program offers comprehensive clinical training across three premier institutions: a major tertiary care university hospital, a new state-of-the-art facility in North Liberty, and a VA hospital. These diverse training sites provide our residents with extensive, hands-on experience in a wide range of patient care settings, equipping them to lead with both confidence and compassion in the field of orthopedics.
Program Aims
- Train future physicians to be lifelong learners, committed to self-reflection, self-assessment, and improvement
- Deliver a core curriculum allowing residents to gain knowledge that reflects understanding in the art of inquiry and science of discovery
- Develop clinical reasoning and judgement skills necessary to approach complex as well as common problems that present to the generalist
- Develop the necessary skills and knowledge used in the areas of teaching, quality and safety, and scholarship
- Provide clinical experiences allowing residents to learn and practice delivering team-based care that reflects respect for patient values and preferences
- Provide opportunities and flexibility supporting individualized career plans
- Foster a learning environment that promotes progressive responsibility and graduated autonomy
- Maintain a culture of wellness in which resident support, camaraderie, and mentorship
Iowa has a longstanding reputation of being one of the best, most well-rounded orthopedic residency programs in the country. This was made apparent to me on my rotation as I witnessed unparalleled academic support, outstanding leadership, and teaching in and out of the operating rooms. The uniqueness of the program was made ever more clear as I toured other programs.
The Iowa Difference
Our environment fosters close relations between residents and their family members. The residents have the opportunity to work one on one with dedicated, world-renowned faculty members. Over five years, residents master the clinical and surgical techniques and the basic sciences fundamental to current care of patients with injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Experiences at the VA hospital and clinical and basic research are all an integral part of the residency program for the exposure to all the major orthopedic subspecialties.
The department has a long history and each resident becomes a part of this well-respected background. The small town atmosphere and covering only two hospitals decreases the overall call burden and facilitates home call. The department is dedicated to musculoskeletal research and residents have research opportunities in all the clinical and basic sciences. The program takes pride in preparing residents for subspecialty fellowships, successful academic careers, and future leadership positions in their communities and in orthopedic organizations.
