University of California San Francisco Program

Program Identity & Fit

UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery is a top-tier academic program built on a dual-rotation subspecialty model, in which residents rotate through every subspecialty as both junior and senior residents across a distinctive multi-site network spanning Parnassus (spine, arthroplasty, complex hand/foot/ankle), the Mission Bay Orthopaedic Institute, Zuckerberg San Francisco General (the city's only Level I trauma center), the SF VA, Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Shriners Sacramento, and CPMC for private-practice exposure. The program deliberately trains few or no fellows in some subspecialties, prioritizing resident autonomy and case ownership over fellow competition, and incorporates an international/global health rotation. Research is embedded structurally through designated "Research Resident" tracks seen across nearly every class year, alongside explicit selection criteria valuing scholarly engagement, leadership, and service/outreach. The program's graduates pursue leadership roles in academic and major hospital systems, reflecting a culture oriented toward academic and subspecialty leadership rather than general community practice.