Residency Program

Mentors to Inspire You.

At Vanderbilt, we believe that an apprenticeship approach to resident education creates future leaders in orthopaedic surgery. And because we’re confident your residency will be enriched by working closely with top-of-field surgeons, highly skilled clinicians will guide your residency as mentors — offering constant support as you work to develop your analytic thinking, creative problem solving and surgical skills. Sharing their diverse training and experience, your mentors will help you navigate each new experience and hone your ability to care for patients with respect and compassion.

Why Vanderbilt?

Our residency program received 1,120 applications in 2022 for five PGY-1 slots. Learn why people choose Vanderbilt for an orthopedic surgery residency:

Why Vanderbilt?

Surgical Experience

How Does Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Compare?

Orthopaedic Surgery Hands On

Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Teaching

Attending Resident Relationship

Real-Life Experience to Empower You.

Our residents thrive because we give them early autonomy. Here, you’ll begin performing orthopedic surgeries in your first year with graduated responsibility as you progress through the five years. Because rotations are completed as both a junior and senior resident, the longitudinal experience allows residents to gain confidence in managing general orthopedic pathology as well as complex issues referred from the community.

Vanderbilt University Virtual Tour

Virtual Tour Introduction

Adult Hospital Tour

What to Expect from Our ACGME Approved Residency Program

Residents rotate through our teaching, children’s and Veteran’s Administration hospitals and outpatient surgery center, guided by five basic tenets:

Every resident will attend daily educational conferences, which range from didactic lectures to grand rounds and morbidity, mortality and improvement.
Every resident shares the same rotations and educational experience.
Every resident rotates twice through the services – once as a junior resident and again as a senior resident.
Every resident can expect rotations to be education-based, not service-based.
Every resident will work with specialty-specific faculty and residents throughout the rotation in a classical apprenticeship rotation model.

Residents interested in developing administrative skills can participate in developing CME courses.