Curriculum

The educational program and core curriculum are intended to equip the orthopaedic resident with the knowledge and skills to provide compassionate and excellent musculoskeletal care to orthopaedic patients. The program consists of protected education time of no less than 4 hours per week.

Daily Fracture Conference and Morning Report (30 minutes)

On a daily basis, a 30 minute morning fracture conference is to review and discuss fracture cases as well as new consultations in an interactive, educational manner. New fracture cases and consultations admitted from the prior day will be presented and treatment plans formulated including discussion of surgical indications. Surgical cases from the prior day will be reviewed and critiqued in a constructive manner. Residents will be expected to present cases, formulate treatment plans and discussed system issues relevant to patient care.

Tuesday Morning Grand Rounds: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Every Tuesday, prior to daily fracture conference daily fracture conference, dedicated time for orthopaedic grand rounds is scheduled. The grand rounds schedule is a CME approved (1 credit per week) educational conference that covers a wide range of subjects including clinical orthopaedic surgery, ethics, safety, basic science (biomechanics, bone metabolism) and pain.  The fourth Tuesday of each month is morbidity and mortality conference. In this conference, all relevant cases are reviewed and cases of special interest will be presented in detail including a discussion of the literature. Root Cause Analysis and Evidence Based Medicine will be discussed as part of M&M conference with attempt and correction of any identified errors in judgment or treatment.

Approximately 6 CME lectures/year will be held at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University as a campus-wide event for topics related to all medical specialties.

Tuesday Morning Resident Conference: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Core Curriculum)

Core curriculum lectures are protected educational time and are scheduled 3 hours in length. The residents will meet from 9 a.m. to12 p.m. and attendance is mandatory, excluding residents on away rotations (pediatrics). Residents on Tumor/Spine rotation are given discretion regarding their participation in this or Tumor conference on a weekly basis.

The subject matter covered in the core curriculum is based upon the content of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE), review books, and over 130 online textbooks as well as library access to online literature through PubMed and other databases. Each section of the core curriculum will be under the direction of the one member of the orthopaedic faculty, identified below as the section leader. The core curriculum time will include invited faculty lectures, case presentation and discussion, review of textbook material, and review of in-training questions with discussion.

Each month a new section leader will be assigned and is responsible for both direct instruction and oversight. The section leader or an outside lecturer of his orher choice can provide the didactic leadership. Section leaders, with the help of the program director, are responsible for confirming speakers. Speakers will lecture for no more than one hour (the first hour) at the discretion of the section leader, with the remaining time allotted for active group learning including discussion, case presentation and question review. Each month of the year will rotate to a new topic:

• July/August: Trauma
• September: Sports Medicine
• October: Basic Science
• November: Orthopaedic Oncology
• December: Foot & Ankle
• January: Joint Reconstruction
• February: Hand
• March: Shoulder/Elbow
• April: Spine
• May: Pediatrics
• June: Knee

Wednesday Morning Tumor Conference: 7am-9am

On a weekly basis, a multidisciplinary tumor conference is held with faculty representation from orthopaedic oncolcogy, MSK radiology, pathology as well as other faculty. The two hour conference is mandatory for the resident on oncology/spine rotation and is a case based conference related to active patients on the orthopaedic oncology service.

While on the Pediatric Rotation, a daily morning conference will be held throughout the week, rotating topics on a daily basis Monday thru Friday.

Orthopaedic Residency Weekly Curriculum

 
Orthopaedic Residency Monthly Core Curriculum Topics and Subject Leaders

The above is a schedule of subject areas and section leaders for each year during the resident conferences. The specific, intended topics to be covered over a 2 year period include but are not limited to the following:

Subject area: Trauma
Section Leader: Kenneth W. Graf, MD
Duration of Curriculum: July and August

TOPICS: Open Fractures, Biology of Fracture Healing, Fractures of the Femoral Neck, Management of Ankle Fractures, The Orthopaedic Patient with Multi-System Injuries, Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures, Fractures of the Tibial Plateau, Forearm Fractures, Distal Radius Fractures, Fractures of the Tibial Pilon

Subject area:Sports
Section Leader: Mark A. Pollard, MD
Duration of Curriculum: September

TOPICS: Foot, Ankle and Achilles Tendon Issues in Sports Medicine, The Hip and Pelvis in Sports Medicine, The Spine & Sports Medicine, Concussions/Brain Injury, Medical Aspects of Sports Participation, Overuse Injuries

Subject area: Orthopaedic Science (I)
Section Leader: David A. Fuller, MD
Duration of Curriculum: October

TOPICS: Peripheral Nerve Physiology, Anatomy and Pathology; Molecular and Cellular Biology of Inflammation and Neoplasia; Bone Injury, Regeneration, and Repair; Anatomy, Physiology and Mechanics of Skeletal Muscle; Growth Plate and Bone Development; Form and Function of Articular Cartilage; Form and Function of Bone; Anatomy, Biology, Biomechanics of Tendon, Ligament, and Biomechanics; Biomaterials; Musculoskeletal Infection; Kinesiology, Gait, Joint and Amputee Rehabilitation; Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis

Subject area: Medically Related (II)
Section Leader: David A. Fuller, MD
Duration of Curriculum: October

TOPICS: Thromboembolic disease; Arterial and venous insufficiency; Anesthesia, regional blocks, periop risk; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy; Diabetes and neuropathic joints; Infections; Rheumatology-Connective Tissue Disease; Business aspects of Orthopaedic Practice; Ethical/professional relationships; Billing; Risk management; Contracting

Subject area: Orthopaedic Diseases
Section Leader: Richard D. Lackman, MD; Tae Won B. Kim, MD
Duration of Curriculum: November

TOPICS: Soft Tissue Tumors, Benign Bone Tumors, Osteoporosis, Metabolic Bone Disease, Hematologic Malignancies and Metastatic Bone Disease, Malignant Bone Tumors

Subject area: Foot and Ankle
Section Leader: Erik C. Freeland, DO
Duration of Curriculum: December

TOPICS: Anatomy, embryology, radiology; skin incisions (incisional neuroma); bone graft sites, surgical instruments, nail pathology, orthoses; Forefoot: Hallux valgus, varus, rigidus; toe deformities - hammer, mallet, claw; 2nd toe cross-over, subluxation; interdigital neuroma; bunionette, 5th toe positional (overlap, cock-up); Midfoot: Metatarsalgia; rheumatoid forefoot/hindfoot/lst M.P. arthrodesis; tarsal coalition; posterior tibial tendon dysfunction; subtalar/triple arthrodesis; Hindfoot & Ankle: Achilles tendon problems; Haglund syndrome and insertional tendonitis; heel pain (plantar fasciitis, etc.); ankle ligament instability; peroneal tendon disorders; Trauma: Midfoot-Lisfranc, isolated fractures; calcaneal fractures; talus fractures; O.C.D. lesions; midfoot compartment release

Subject area: Hip & Knee Reconstruction
Section Leader: Jack Shilling, MD, Douglas S. Tase, MD
Duration of Curriculum: January

TOPICS: Hip Designated Evolution, Uncemented Hip, Hybrid Hip, Cemented Hip, TKA Design Evolution, PCL or not to PCL, Constraint in TKA, Exposure Knee in TKA, Revision Knee I, Revision Knee II, Hip Dislocation, Revision Hip, Periprosthetic Fracture - Knee, Periprosthetic Fracture - Hip, Exposure Hip, Infection Hip, Infection Knee, DVT, Osteotomies around the Knee, Osteonecrosis, Gap Balancing

Subject area: Hand
Section Leader: David A. Fuller, MD
Duration of Curriculum: February

TOPICS: Anatomy & Physiology of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Muscles; Evaluation; Compression Neuropathies; Acute Injuries I (Flexor Tendon, Extensor Tendon, Amputation/Replantation, Nerve Repairs); Acute Injuries II (Wrist Ligament Injuries, Carpal Fractures, Distal Radius Fractures); Rheumatoid/Osteoarthritis; Tumors (Dupuytren’s, Benign, Malignant); Tendon Transfers/Congenital Anomalies; Infection/Compartment Syndrome/Burns/Frost Bite

Subject area: Shoulder & Elbow
Section Leader: Catherine J. Fedorka, MD; Mark A. Pollard, MD
Duration of Curriculum: March

TOPICS: Glenohumeral Joint Instability: Pathophysiology, Classification, and Clinical Assessment; Glenohumeral Joint Instability: Non-operative and Operative Treatment and complications; Sternoclavicular Joint Instability; AC Joint Instability; Glenohumeral Joint Arthritis: Pathophysiology, Classification, Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Complications; Sternoclavicular Joint, AC Joint, and Elbow Arthritis: Pathophysiology, Classification, Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Complications; Impingement Syndrome: Pathophysiology, Classification, and Clinical Assessment; Impingement Syndrome: Treatment and Complications (Bursitis, Increased Rotator Cuff Arthropathy); Adhesive Capsulitis, Nerve Entrapments Around the Shoulder, Brachial Neuritis, Scapulothoracic Impingement, Congenital Deformities; Elbow: Nerve Entrapments, Overuse Tendinopathies, Instability (Chronic Ulnar Collateral Ligament; Acute - Dislocation)

Subject area: Spine
Section Leader: David H. Clements, MD
Duration of Curriculum: April

TOPICS: Lumbar Disc Herniations, Discogenic Back Pain; Lumbar Stenosis and Degenerative Spondylolistheses; Degenerative Cervical Conditions: Spondylosis, Radiculopathy, Myelopathy; Cervical Trauma; Thoracolumbar Trauma; Tumors and Infections of the Spine; Scoliosis/Kyphosis/Spondylolisthesis; Congenital Deformities: including Myelodysplasia and Neuromuscular; Scoliosis

Subject area: Pediatrics (I)
Section Leader: David A. Fuller, MD
Duration of Curriculum: May

TOPICS: Growth Principles; Child Abuse; Perthes Disorder, SCFE; DDH; Myelomeningocele; Cerebral Palsy; Motor Unit Disorders: SMA, CMT, DMD; Trauma I (Upper Extremity); Trauma II (Lower Extremity); Lower Extremity Congenital Anomalies; Selected Short Stature, Neurofibromatosis; Spine I (Congenital Spine Anomalies, Spondylo, Scheuermanns); Spine II (Idiopathic and NM Scoliosis); Foot: TEV, CVT, TC

Subject area: Rehabilitation (II)
Section Leader: David A. Fuller, MD
Duration of Curriculum: May

TOPICS: Upper extremity prosthetics, Lower extremity prosthetics, Spinal cord injury, Gait Abnormalities, Spasticity, Heterotopic Ossification

Subject Area: Knee
Section Leader: Mark A. Pollard, MD
Duration of Curriculum: June

TOPICS: Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Knee, Extensor Mechanism Injuries/Pain, Cruciate and Collateral Ligament Injuries, Meniscus Injury and Repair, Articular Cartilage injury and Treatment