The Duke Orthopaedic Program enables the orthopaedic trainee to obtain adequate clinical and surgical skills in all areas of orthopaedic surgery for medical practice in the specialty in either an academic or community practice. Progressive responsibility is accomplished, in keeping with individual knowledge, skills and performance, always stressing safety and appropriate care of patients. Faculty members provide daily and continuous supervision which is a mainstay of the Program. The faculty members' full time clinical practices are on site and rotation assignments are arranged so that trainees have experience in all subspecialty areas of orthopaedic surgery. Research opportunities abound with most of the faculty involved in laboratory and clinical research, and also providing guidance for project selection, completion, and adequate funding support. Ongoing and continuing medical education is assured and accomplished by at least eight hours of teaching conferences each week, attended by faculty, trainees, students and allied health personnel. The Duke orthopaedic trainee has daily and continuous contact with the faculty in the clinics, operative theater, ward rounds, teaching conferences, and individual rotation conferences.

 

Success is monitored by Faculty observance of clinical performance, Faculty evaluations of each resident every three months, weekly presentations at conference, performance on yearly in-training examinations, success in obtaining top post-training fellowships and/or practices, and performance on specialty board examinations. Each Chief Resident must complete a written thesis on an orthopaedic topic, which is presented and judged at a symposium prior to graduation from the Program.