UCSF Health – St. Mary’s Hospital Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a small, longstanding community-based orthopaedic surgery program (est. 1961, three residents per year, fifteen total) built on an apprenticeship model that emphasizes early operative autonomy and one-on-one faculty training rather than large-scale basic-science research. Training spans four distinct clinical environments—UCSF Health Stanyan (private-practice model), Kaiser Permanente Oakland (staff-model HMO), Highland Hospital (county safety-net trauma center), and Shriners Hospitals for Children (pediatric specialty)—giving residents broad exposure across practice settings and patient populations rather than a single tertiary-academic identity. Research is structured but modest (two dedicated rotations totaling four months in PGY2-3), positioned as a component of a well-rounded surgeon rather than a pathway to physician-scientist careers, and the program explicitly states it seeks "humble physicians" committed to hands-on clinical service. Eleven of fifteen current faculty are program graduates, reflecting a self-perpetuating, close-knit culture that values loyalty, collegiality, and durable relationships over institutional prestige-seeking.