George Washington University Program

Orthopaedic Surgery Analyst Verified · Apr 20, 2023

George Washington University Program

George Washington University Program is a residency program specializing in Orthopaedic Surgery, located in Washington, District of Columbia, directed by Sam Moghtaderi, MD and coordinated by Yolanda Porter. The program accepts applications through October 1, 2027 and holds an accreditation status of Continued. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (202) 741-3311. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

GW is a university-based, tertiary/quaternary academic orthopaedic surgery program built around four distinct clinical sites in the DC area - its own level 1 adult trauma center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center (a second high-volume level 1 trauma center shared with Georgetown residents), Children's National Medical Center (a top-ranked pediatric referral center shared with Walter Reed, Howard, and Georgetown trainees), and Sibley Memorial Hospital for high-volume community-based subspecialty exposure. The curriculum is structured around a two-year rotating subspecialty didactic cycle plus dedicated trauma, upper extremity, sports, oncology, spine, and pediatric conferences, with residents progressing from learner to teacher across PGY levels - reflecting a strong emphasis on structured, in-house academic teaching rather than isolated service work. Nearly all recent graduates pursue subspecialty fellowships (adult reconstruction, sports, spine, hand, trauma, foot and ankle, oncology, pediatrics) at nationally recognized centers, with graduates settling into a mix of academic practices and high-level community/private orthopaedic groups, indicating the program values broad procedural competence across every major subspecialty rather than early narrow specialization. The program's cross-institutional call structure (working alongside Georgetown, Howard, and Walter Reed residents) and multi-site trauma/pediatric/community rotation design suggest it values residents who are comfortable functioning across varied hospital cultures and patient populations within a single metropolitan trauma network.

Who it fits

An applicant whose ERAS narrative demonstrates broad-based orthopaedic interest with strong operative/trauma exposure and clear intent to pursue subspecialty fellowship training, rather than one fixed on a single niche or on immediate community practice after residency.

Research intensity

Moderate - basic science and clinical research training is built into residency goals, but the site descriptions emphasize clinical/operative volume and didactics over a dedicated research infrastructure or protected research time.

Career orientation

Fellowship - virtually all recent graduates pursue subspecialty fellowships before entering academic or community orthopaedic practice.

Important

The program explicitly states it does not expect applicants who complete an in-person visiting sub-internship to also send a preference signal token, and that visiting/rotating students are ranked based on their rotation performance in lieu of a formal interview.

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