Overview

The The Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency provides education and training for residents at four major metropolitan hospitals: The Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, The Children’s Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Our goal in orthopaedic education is to produce outstanding surgeons with a thorough understanding of the musculoskeletal system who are able to critically evaluate and implement new research and ideas. Because of our diverse background, we believe the educational opportunity offered by our residency program will provide a firm foundation in the management of musculoskeletal problems and the complexities of an orthopaedic practice which should assist a graduate to rise to leadership roles within the orthopaedic community. We judge ourselves by the success of our graduates.

Residents come from many medical schools with highly varied social, ethnic and educational backgrounds. The common thread that unites those admitted to the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency is a history of excellence and achievement in some area.

The factual underpinning of the Combined Residency Program is the Core Curriculum Conference Program which takes place weekly (Wednesday: 8am to 12 noon) on a two year rotating basis. During the academic year, September thru June, Grand Rounds is held at 7am - the first two Wednesdays of the month at the BWH, the second two Wednesdays at the MGH. The Core Curriculum Conference follows from 8am to 12noon at the hospital site of Grand Rounds. In July and August an anatomy curriculum with cadaver dissection is held at the Harvard Medical School from 7:30 to 12 noon. In addition weekly didactic teaching conferences also exist at each hospital.

The advantages to the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program are its diversity and commitment to education. Its size and the depth of faculty present the resident with an array of orthopaedic problems and solutions necessary for the best educational experience possible. There are 81 orthopaedic surgeons actively involved in teaching residents. The total number of outpatient visits to the combined orthopaedic departments annually is 122,000 and the total number of surgical procedures performed yearly is 18,000. Rotations in major Harvard teaching hospitals offer stimulation from associated medical and surgical specialties, leading to enhanced education. The modern orthopaedic surgeon must be aware of therapeutic methods, ranging from a new prospective of gene therapy to micro-vascular and minimally invasive surgery in order to offer the best alternatives to patients with musculoskeletal problems in an era of changing treatments. Surgical education exists with graded responsibility in all hospitals. Particular effort is expended by our faculty to be sure that patients are evaluated pre and postoperatively by our residents to provide a continuance of care.

As health care systems develop in the Boston area, the Harvard teaching hospitals are central to all insurance programs and thus our patient base is insured. Specialty education in our program includes all aspects of orthopaedic management in pediatric orthopaedics, total joint arthroplasty, oncology, sports medicine, foot and ankle, hand and upper extremity, shoulder, and trauma. Faculty members include two members of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Board of the Orthopaedic Research Society, past presidents of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Resident Review Committee and many specialty societies, the Chairmen of multiple AAOS Committees and other important professional and honorary organizations. Members of our faculty publish approximately 150 papers per year.

A residency at the Harvard Combined Program ensures a comprehensive education in the art and science of orthopaedic surgery. Whatever your career goals are within orthopaedic surgery we will assist you in pursuing them and hopefully propel you toward a leadership role in your chosen career.

HCORP Fellow Responsibility Statement

It is the responsibility of attending physicians, fellows, and residents to ensure that clinical services are structured and managed in a way that fosters teamwork and maximizes the educational opportunities for residents and fellows while providing the highest quality patient care.

We believe the presence of fellows should augment, rather that adversely impact the educational experience of residents. Residents must have a substantive role in all aspects of patient care, including operative procedures. Fellows must provide teaching in the clinic, on the floor and in the operating room. Patient care is the shared responsibility of the residents and fellows on a service; fellows must take the initiative in providing comprehensive care. Fellows should lead by example in all arenas of patient care, ensuring that the highest standards are met.

Mark C. Gebhardt, MD
James R. Kasser, MD
Harry E. Rubash, MD
Thomas S. Thornhill, MD

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Last Updated:
01/10/09