Boston University Medical Center
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Contact Information
City
Boston
State/Province
Massachusetts
Program Information
Residents per class
5
Boston University Medical Center Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program
User reviews
Overall rating
9.8
Staff Surgeons
10.0
Didactics/Teaching
9.0
Operating Experience
10.0
Clinical Experience
9.0
Research
10.0
Residents
10.0
Lifestyle
10.0
Location
10.0
Overall Experience
10.0
Program Review -- a residents perspective
Program Review
Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Attendings - a large group of attendings that we work with throughout residency. There is a wide range of experience, which provides a good balance and allows for prolonged stability. Attendings love teaching and are extremely dedicated to helping the residents become the best possible orthopedic surgeon they can. We also get to work with attendings at Boston Children's, MGH, the VA, Lahey, and Shriner's in addition to those at Boston Medical Center.
Chairman - Dr. Tornetta is an amazing mentor and is dedicated to the residency. He is involved in the everyday functions of the residency and makes sure that things are always moving in a direction that provides the best learning environment for the residents. He is an excellent educator and researcher and will help provide extra guidance to anyone who seeks it out. He knows how to challenge you so you can become the best possible orthopedic surgeon you can.
Staff - additional staff of PA and NPs help to keep floor and discharge responsibilities to a minimum. Also most have been there for multiple years so they are experienced in the way the service runs to help make a seemless transition when residents switch services.
Chairman - Dr. Tornetta is an amazing mentor and is dedicated to the residency. He is involved in the everyday functions of the residency and makes sure that things are always moving in a direction that provides the best learning environment for the residents. He is an excellent educator and researcher and will help provide extra guidance to anyone who seeks it out. He knows how to challenge you so you can become the best possible orthopedic surgeon you can.
Staff - additional staff of PA and NPs help to keep floor and discharge responsibilities to a minimum. Also most have been there for multiple years so they are experienced in the way the service runs to help make a seemless transition when residents switch services.
Didactics / Teaching
Weekly didactics that fulfill the requirements.
Mon - Morning fracture conference to go over weekend consults. This is one of best learning and teaching experiences as attendings are at morning rounds to go over and review consults
Tue - Morning fracture conference. Also hourly session from 6:15-7:15am for bone saw sessions, bio-skills or journal clubs
Weds- Grand rounds or M&M
Thurs - Bone School from 6:30-8am. Go over weekly cases with attendings. Have the time for in depth discussion regarding indications and surgical techniques.
Fri - Bone School 7am - 11am. Weekly rotating lectures given by attendings and residents. Also go over questions.
Mon - Morning fracture conference to go over weekend consults. This is one of best learning and teaching experiences as attendings are at morning rounds to go over and review consults
Tue - Morning fracture conference. Also hourly session from 6:15-7:15am for bone saw sessions, bio-skills or journal clubs
Weds- Grand rounds or M&M
Thurs - Bone School from 6:30-8am. Go over weekly cases with attendings. Have the time for in depth discussion regarding indications and surgical techniques.
Fri - Bone School 7am - 11am. Weekly rotating lectures given by attendings and residents. Also go over questions.
Operating Experience
Excellent operating room experience from each subspecialty. You also have an opportunity of operating around different types of hospitals (Boston Children's, MGH (oncology), the VA around Boston. Well rounded operative experience with graduated autonomy. A mentorship model is adopted for most rotations. Will be proficient at all of the required surgeries required by the ACGME,
Clinic Experience
Focus on operative vs non-operative management of cases. This is unique to the program as every option is discussed and we are not operating on every fracture, as certain fractures have similar outcomes with operative and non-operative management. The clinic focuses entirely on learning when and if and when to go to the operating room. There are many physician assistants and nurse practitioners who assist residents with needs as well. Good balance of different practice models to provide the best learning experience.
Research Opportunities
There are many opportunities, especially at Boston Medical Center, but can also get involved at other facilities. Research is, however, primarily resident-driven. Need to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that are available. Attendings are extremely responsive and provide great mentorship.
Residents
Extremely hard working and are very supportive. We stick together and always help each other out. Very tight group--it feels like family. Rotations are set up to provide opportunities for senior residents to teach the junior residents.
Lifestyle
Work hard, play hard. You will work extremely hard while at work, but there is ample opportunity to have fun outside of work. Intern year you have every other weekend off and sometimes have 3/4 weekends off. Other years you have every other weekend off. Other rotations vary with the in house call load.
Location / Housing
Boston is expensive, but expenses can be managed. The city is amazing. It has everything you want in a large city, but has a smaller size feel to it. There is a good public transportation system. There are so many opportunities within a few hour drive from hiking and skiing to spending the weekend on the beach. You can get just about anywhere within the northeast in a few hours drive. Also logan international has affordable direct flights to many other cities. Traffic can be miserable from time to time, but usually is avoidable.
Limitations
Learning and research are self-guided. You will not be told what to do. Need to have an appetite for reading. If you decide to participate in research you will have the mentorship to put together and complete a project that you can get a publication out of and usually go to a conference to present the work. However, there is not a large support staff to help with data collection. You can usually find medical students to help with the data collection.
Multiple sites which requires travel, but allows us to see a wide scope of practice models and work with some of the best, and most highly reputable surgeons around.
Multiple sites which requires travel, but allows us to see a wide scope of practice models and work with some of the best, and most highly reputable surgeons around.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
Excellent Fellowship with amazing training and mentorship. You will work extremely hard and be pushed at times, but this residency will make you the best possible orthopedic surgeon you can become. Also if you work hard and take advantage of the numerous opportunities you will be rewarded with an excellent fellowship. I would choose this residency again in a heartbeat.
Qualification
I am a current resident of this program.
Date of Rotation
01/2020
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Overall rating
10.0
Staff Surgeons
10.0
Didactics/Teaching
10.0
Operating Experience
10.0
Clinical Experience
10.0
Research
10.0
Residents
10.0
Lifestyle
10.0
Location
10.0
Overall Experience
10.0
Excellent program
Program Review
Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Excellent staff. They enjoy teaching and provide constructive feedback. They also frequently provide labs to help us learn, as well as lectures.
Didactics / Teaching
A great program incredibly dedicated to teaching. There are weekly didactics that are protected. There are also lectures often in the morning such as masterpiece, where residents discuss the cases from the previous week. There are also numerous bioskills labs.
Operating Experience
Excellent operating room experience from each subspecialty. You also have an opportunity of operating around different types of hospitals around Boston--from community focused hospitals to large academic facilities.
Clinic Experience
Clinic focuses entirely on learning when and if to go to the operating room. There is minimal paperwork and maximal learning as the providers primarily dictate in clinic at BMC. There are many physician assistants and nurse practitioners who assist residents with needs as well. The ortho techs in clinic also help guide patients around and are there very quickly if you need them. Clinic runs very efficiently.
Research Opportunities
Research is primarily resident driven. BU Med School is extremely helpful in terms of assisting residents with projects and learning the ropes of submitting IRBs etc. Great mentors with much academic experience are also ready to assist you with your project ideas.
Residents
The residents are a tight-knit yet diverse group. Welcoming of all backgrounds. Very woman-friendly (as evidence by the number of women who graduate from the program each year). Most of the residents are open to teaching experiences. Expect the senior residents to teach the junior residents willingly and very often in the operating room and on the wipe board. There is also a good spread of residents who are single, partnered, married, or with children. Residents are also very close to the nurse practitioners and physician assistants that work alongside them.
Lifestyle
Excellent lifestyle. The residents work hard yet also know the value of family and friends outside the workplace. Many of their significant others know each other. Family and friends are encouraged and well-supported in the program. There is much for significant others and the residents to do in Boston as well.
Location / Housing
Boston is an incredible place to live. The ocean makes the weather much more mild than other places in the north. Boston Medical Center, the main hub of the BU program, has a rich history of taking care of Bostonians. BMC takes its mission to care for others very seriously. BMC serves many vulnerable populations.
Limitations
Some may perceive this program as "too blue collar" or "too hard working". I disagree however. There are rotations where residents have to work more than other rotations. All of them balance out in the end though. There is a rich amount of patients with very unique problems that you will not see elsewhere in the United States. There is also a healthy focus on reading and learning the right way to read literature to make you a well-rounded orthopaedic surgeon.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
Extremely well-constructed program. This program is a gem. Extremely happy to be a resident here!
Qualification
I am a current resident of this program.
Date of Rotation
12/2019
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Overall rating
8.1
Staff Surgeons
8.0
Didactics/Teaching
7.0
Operating Experience
8.0
Clinical Experience
10.0
Research
6.0
Residents
9.0
Lifestyle
8.0
Location
8.0
Overall Experience
9.0
BU resident review
Program Review
Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Many top notch faculty and some rising stars. Chairman (Tornetta) is top of the field in trauma and extremely involved in the program day-to-day.
Didactics / Teaching
Weekly lecture series fulfills the required didactics
Operating Experience
Trauma heavy at the main hospital. Community hospital (Lahey Clinic) and VA allow much more autonomy
Clinic Experience
Lots of nonop management of trauma cases allow you to experience the natural history of injuries
Research Opportunities
Many opportunities but you need to take advantage of them
Residents
Blue collar group that works hard and works as a team
Lifestyle
It’s ortho residency, so you’re working a lot. Boston allows for many easy opportunities to have fun
Location / Housing
Boston is expensive but very accessible as a city. Lots to do and pretty easy to get around. Great outdoor opportunities close by
Limitations
Not a huge research staff.
You will work hard and it’s small enough that you can’t hide.
Patient population at the main hospital can be challenging because it is a SafetyNet hospital
You will work hard and it’s small enough that you can’t hide.
Patient population at the main hospital can be challenging because it is a SafetyNet hospital
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
Awesome training experience. Very hands-on, especially with trauma. Residents get great fellowships
Qualification
I am a current resident of this program.
Date of Rotation
N/a
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