University of Michigan Health-West Program

Orthopaedic Surgery Analyst Verified · Apr 20, 2023

University of Michigan Health-West Program

University of Michigan Health-West Program is a residency program specializing in Orthopaedic Surgery, located in Cleveland, Michigan, directed by Thomas Matelic, MD and coordinated by Elizabeth Fry. The program accepts applications through November 1, 2027 and holds an accreditation status of Continued without outcomes. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (616) 252-7604. 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

University of Michigan Health-West's Orthopaedic Surgery Residency is a five-year, two-resident-per-year community-based program affiliated with the University of Michigan health system, led by a thirty-surgeon faculty spanning all subspecialties. The program is structured around a graduated, high-volume operative curriculum with early and progressively autonomous surgical involvement, weekly faculty-led conferences, resident didactics, monthly skill labs, and subspecialty journal clubs, reflecting an emphasis on hands-on surgical mastery over research-driven identity. Its mission explicitly foregrounds service to West Michigan's rural and underserved communities alongside preparation for either independent practice or fellowship, and its resident roster is composed almost entirely of osteopathic (D.O.) graduates from a broad range of osteopathic medical schools. Institutional research infrastructure (IRB, protocol review committee, clinical trials office) exists and supports resident QI/case report activity, but research is a supporting structure rather than the program's defining pillar.

Who it fits

A D.O. applicant seeking a high-volume, surgically autonomous community-based orthopaedic program with a rural/underserved-service mission and a clear pathway to either fellowship or independent community practice.

Research intensity

Moderate - institutional research and QI infrastructure exists and residents are expected to participate in projects, but the program's identity centers on operative volume and clinical mastery rather than research output.

Career orientation

Mixed - Fellowship, Community Practice

Important

Requires at least one letter of recommendation from an orthopaedic physician.

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