University of Utah Health Program

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Utah Orthopaedic Surgery residency is a tertiary academic program built around five co-located training sites within a one-mile radius—University Hospital, Primary Children's, Shriners, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the VA—giving residents concentrated exposure across trauma, pediatric, oncologic, and adult reconstructive orthopaedics without the logistical spread typical of larger academic systems. Research is deeply embedded rather than peripheral: a required clinical or basic science project, over $5M in annual external funding, dedicated resident research funds (Sherman S. Coleman Fund, Resident Academic Fund), and a >90% top fellowship placement rate signal a program that expects scholarly output to accompany clinical training. The program layers structured external conference exposure by PGY year (AO Fracture, subspecialty society meetings, AAOS) and supports humanitarian outreach rotations (India, Nicaragua, Ghana, Ethiopia, etc.) during PGY-5 elective time, reflecting value placed on global surgical experience alongside domestic subspecialization. High OITE performance, strong wellness scores, and near-universal Step 1 pass rates indicate the program selects residents capable of sustaining rigorous academic and clinical demands simultaneously.