Ochsner Clinic Foundation Program

Program Identity & Fit

Ochsner's Orthopedic Surgery Residency is a high-volume program based at the largest medical center in Louisiana, with additional exposure to underserved patients at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma, giving residents a mix of quaternary-level referral cases and safety-net orthopedic pathology. The high staff-to-resident ratio allows close, one-on-one operative and clinic time with subspecialized attendings across trauma, sports, spine, hand, pediatrics, and adult reconstruction, and the program emphasizes graduated autonomy so residents leave capable of independent, complex practice. A scholarly project culminating by PGY-5 is required but framed as a practical, achievable output (presentation or publication) rather than a driver of the program's identity. Alumni outcomes split fairly evenly between subspecialty fellowship (spine, sports, hand, foot and ankle, trauma, adult reconstruction) and direct entry into general orthopedic private practice, particularly in the Gulf South region, reflecting a program that values well-rounded surgeons over research-track subspecialists.