University at Buffalo Program

Program Identity & Fit

University at Buffalo's orthopaedic surgery residency is a university-affiliated program built on comprehensive subspecialty exposure across multiple distinct clinical environments, including a tertiary referral center (Buffalo General Medical Center), the region's largest safety-net Level 1 trauma center (Erie County Medical Center), and a pediatric hospital, giving residents experience across trauma, arthroplasty, spine, oncology, hand, sports medicine, and pediatric orthopaedics. Research is embedded structurally through a dedicated second-year 10-week research rotation, monthly arthroscopy lab sessions, and the Kenneth A. Krackow Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, with residents consistently producing clinical and biomechanical publications and conference presentations. The program emphasizes graduated autonomy in continuity clinics, strong OITE performance (91st percentile in 2022), and a collegial, family-leave-supportive culture, positioning itself as producing well-rounded practitioners rather than a narrow subspecialty pipeline. It appears to value residents who thrive across varied clinical settings (urban, safety-net, private office, pediatric) and who engage genuinely with structured research and independent patient management.