Orthopaedic medicine and surgery education and training

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine has one of the premier residency training programs in the nation. Our physicians perform more than 10,000 surgical procedures and 84,000 outpatient visits each year throughout the affiliated hospitals of Penn Medicine, in a wide variety of orthopaedic subspecialties.

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania created the first freestanding department of orthopaedic surgery in the United States in 1889. De Forest Willard, MD, was awarded the first professorship and chair of orthopaedic surgery in the nation. Since then, hundreds of residents have completed their education in our institution, carrying on the tradition of excellence of Penn Orthopaedics throughout the country and the world.

In addition to promoting pre–eminence in patient care, research is an integral part of the departmental mission. The McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory is nationally recognized for basic research in many areas, including orthopaedic bioengineering and molecular biology. Research expenditures in McKay total more than $5 million per annum, supported largely through extramural funding including grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), private foundations, and industry. We are ranked in the top 5 of orthopaedic departments nationally in terms of NIH funding.

While encouraging independent thinking and autonomy during the training process, close supervision and a dedicated faculty mentoring program offer a perfect balance for individualized development. We believe that training in this rich academic and clinical environment results in the formation of outstanding clinicians, active investigators, experienced educators, and lifelong learners.