Program and Curriculum Overview

The Mission and Goals of the Department are to provide patients with the highest quality of orthopedic care in both inpatient and outpatient settings; to conduct world class research in the pathogenesis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases; and to train the next generation of orthopedic surgeons and researchers to lead the profession in the provision of the highest quality orthopedic care. These missions and goals will be achieved by:

• Providing an optimal training environment whereby clinical care is carefully balanced with post-graduate medical education.
• Maintaining the highest standards of clinical practice and patient satisfaction.
• Stressing the importance of research and continuing education for department members.
• Increasing the department members’ awareness of the changing health care climate and the impact of such change on the practice of medicine.

The Department of Orthopedic Surgery, chaired by Joshua J. Jacobs, M.D., offers a five-year residency program accredited by the Orthopedic Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Five positions are available each year beginning at Postgraduate Level 1. For those who have completed a residency in orthopedic surgery and are seeking specialized training, one-year fellowships are available in Adult Reconstruction, Spinal Surgery, Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Research. The Department adheres to the goals and objectives of The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the ACGME.

The Department is committed to developing and maintaining ongoing, innovative clinical and basic scientific research. New approaches to clinical problems will improve health outcomes for orthopedic patients, while advancing the department’s contribution to excellence in research.

The PGY-1 year is spent doing rotations in a variety of surgical and medical subspecialties, and the remaining four years are spent in the orthopedic department. The majority of the residency is spent at Rush University Medical Center. However, residents also rotate at:

• Cook County – John H. Stroger Hospital
  • Excellent trauma experience with fellowship trained traumatologists
• Rockford Memorial Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital Rockford, IL
  • Extensive trauma exposure
• Shriners Hospital for Children
  • Broad spectrum of pediatric care

Residents gain substantial experience in the diagnosis, management and treatment of all orthopedic problems, and are well prepared to enter into private practice or academics. Rush is a prolific orthopedic department and the training program continually benefits from the number of cases completed each year (2008 numbers are listed below). The majority of residents choose to pursue subspecialty fellowship training and the reputations of each department at Rush provides ample opportunity to train at the top fellowship programs. The program is demanding, stimulating, and rewarding. It develops top-notch orthopedic surgeons and fosters a lasting camaraderie between the residents and attending staff.

Surgical Case Volume at Rush for 2008 by Section:

Section	Total Cases 2008
Reconstruction	2516
Foot	608
Hand	1165
Sports	2851
Pediatrics	127
Trauma/Oncology	706
Spine	1043
Trauma - Rockford	900
Trauma – Cook County	700