Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Program

Program Identity & Fit

The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Orthopaedic Surgery Residency is a university-affiliated academic program built around fellowship-trained subspecialty faculty spanning trauma, spine, pediatric orthopaedics, sports medicine, adult reconstruction, shoulder/elbow, hand, and foot/ankle surgery, giving residents structured exposure across the full breadth of the specialty rather than a narrow clinical focus. Training is organized around a dense weekly academic core (grand rounds, M&M, core curriculum, journal club, surgical skills lab) with protected didactic time, competency-based milestone evaluation, and a formal Clinical Competency Committee process, reflecting an emphasis on methodical, graded-responsibility skill development. The school's Office of Research provides structured infrastructure (Resident Research Pilot Program, RISE curriculum, HCUP data access, statistical consultation, annual symposium) indicating scholarly activity is institutionally supported and mentored rather than left to individual initiative. As a relatively new academic program embedded in a rapidly growing Las Vegas health system, it appears to value resident engagement with structured curricula, milestone-driven progression, and participation in mentored scholarly projects.