University of Alabama Hospital Birmingham Program

Orthopaedic Surgery Analyst Verified · Apr 20, 2023

University of Alabama Hospital Birmingham Program

University of Alabama Hospital Birmingham Program is a residency program specializing in Orthopaedic Surgery, located in Birmingham, Alabama, directed by Michael D. Johnson, MD and coordinated by Shay Chambless. The program accepts applications through November 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 (205) 930-8494. 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

UAB Orthopaedic Surgery is a large, academic, tertiary/quaternary five-year program built on exceptionally high operative volume and broad subspecialty exposure across multiple affiliated sites (University Hospital, UAB Highlands, Children's of Alabama, VA, American Sports Medicine Institute). The program draws a statewide and regional catchment of complex and diverse orthopaedic pathology, supported by a well-resourced institutional research infrastructure (NIH-supported Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, basic science, biomechanics, and outcomes research) that residents can engage but is not framed as mandatory. Graduated autonomy, close faculty mentorship, and a strongly emphasized resident culture of camaraderie and collaborative teaching are repeatedly cited as defining features, with graduates entering competitive fellowships across subspecialties. The program appears to value residents who thrive in a high-intensity, high-volume clinical environment while contributing to a cohesive, mutually supportive resident community.

Who it fits

A high-volume, hands-on surgical trainee who wants heavy operative exposure to diverse and complex pathology, values early autonomy and tight-knit resident culture, and is oriented toward subspecialty fellowship training after a broad general orthopaedic foundation.

Research intensity

Moderate - institutional research infrastructure and faculty productivity are substantial and available, but the program's own messaging centers on clinical volume and autonomy rather than research as a defining resident expectation.

Career orientation

Fellowship

Important

The program does not accept applications from medical students enrolled in medical schools outside the continental United States, and standardized letters of recommendation are strongly encouraged.

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