University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Wisconsin Orthopaedic Surgery Residency is an academic, university-based program built around a comprehensive subspecialty exposure entirely local to Madison, structured through a dense conference curriculum (basic science, indications, trauma, M&M, journal club, Grand Rounds) that layers resident-as-teacher responsibilities onto graduated clinical autonomy. Research is embedded rather than optional: residents complete two dedicated research rotations (PGY-2 and PGY-3), the department runs an extensive orthopedic research infrastructure spanning trauma outcomes (including METRC multicenter DOD-funded trials), stem cell/tissue engineering, and sports biomechanics, and the department separately funds a competitive one-year medical-student research fellowship pipeline into orthopedics. The program explicitly positions graduates for either direct entry into general orthopedic practice or competitive subspecialty fellowship, reflecting a dual-track identity rather than a single fellowship funnel. Faculty mentorship, scholarly productivity, and well-rounded subspecialty competence appear to be the primary values driving resident development.