Review Detail

9.2 2 10
Hot
South Carolina August 28, 2007 14260
Review as an Intern

Program Review

Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Faculty is one of the highlights of this program. None of our staff are here because they want to do research and HAVE to teach. All of our attendings are at GHS because they enjoy teaching and it shows. The program director is now Dr. Scott Porter, the Orthopedic Oncologist at GHS. He is one of the leaders nationally pushing to innovate the way we select applicants for interviews and match Ortho residents. Beyond that, the Trauma attendings are led by Dr. Kyle Jeray who is a very well known name in the Orthopaedic Trauma community and beyond. Dr. Jeray is a great surgeon, teacher, and great advocate for the residents. The Trauma guys are all also great surgeons who are young, energetic, and enjoy teaching and being around the residents. GHS also is unique in that we have a Shriners Hospital where we do Pediatric Orthopaedics, so we are exposed to pathology seen few places in the US. We also have a group of attendings that do more general Pediatric Orthopaedics including our Assistant Director Dr. Chris Bray. The Hand group at GHS is also a highlight with at last count 8 attendings who are all busy, so there is a multitude of diverse cases to be covered. We also boast connections with Steadman Hawkins Clinic, one of the worldwide leaders in Sports Medicine, and Blue Ridge Orthopaedics who cares for Clemson's collegiate athletes. We also get great exposure to joints at Patewood Memorial, our hospital that is used nearly solely for Orthopaedic procedures, and busy rotations on Tumor, Foot/Ankle, and Spine at Greenville Memorial.
Didactics / Teaching
Teaching is done in various ways, but mostly at a daily conference after our AM Trauma checkout. We will have a different lecture each morning led by residents/fellows/attendings. They cover all of the subspecialties throughout each month. We also have a world class Anatomy lab at Steadman Hawkins where we do dissections at Anatomy Lab each month.
Operating Experience
Operative experience at this program is the highlight of the program. Many residents here will end up in the top 5-10% nationally in cases logged at the end of their 5 years without feeling like we need to log every reduction as a case or log a combo case as multiple procedures. This is a place that is volume heavy without being so much so that it consumes you.
Clinic Experience
The residents here go to clinic with attendings, but they also have their own clinic where non-insured patients are followed by the residents with attending oversight. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to manage your patients/clinic in both an administrative role as well as being these patients' actual doctor. Not many programs will provide you with this type of opportunity for supervised autonomy to learn how to run a clinic. Also these clinics can present unique pathology as well as opportunities to add cases that are YOUR cases.
Research Opportunities
Research is not the focal point of this program, but it is very strong here nonetheless. Many of our attendings are accomplished physician scientists with impressive and known publications, and they are all interested in getting residents involved in research if you wish to do so. We also have a team of research staff that help residents and attendings with projects getting organized, enrolling patients, and moving toward publications. If you want to do great research, you certainly are more than set up to do so here.
Residents
This was by far what drew me to this program. We have a diverse blend of gender and ethnicities, and the chemistry between the residents here is great. This was really the only program I saw where ALL of the residents would hang out outside of the hospital. This also felt like a great atmosphere for my wife as well as many of the residents wives/significant others were great friends who remained friends after people moved off for fellowship. This residency is focused on the right fit more than the right candidate, and it shows in the chemistry that the residents have and the team mentality on every service. Everyone works hard, but everyone knows how to have fun as well.
Lifestyle
ifestyle in Greenville is fantastic. Perks of a bigger town without the hassle of traffic/etc. of a huge city. There will obviously be long hours, but there is plenty of time to get out of the hospital and enjoy Greenville. We are a destination for people who love to be outdoors and hike/fish/cycle/etc. There are also too many cool restaurants, bars, and coffee shops to count downtown. One of the best parts of this program is the mentality that we work hard, get everything done, work as a team, and then go home to our family/friends. This is not a program where we compete to see who can stay at the hospital the longest.
Location / Housing
This is one of the more affordable housing markets that I visited, and most of the residents own homes. I opted to rent to live downtown, and there are residents that live all over the city with most living near the hospital or east of town in similar neighborhoods.
Limitations
I would say the main limitations here are probably that we are not a major research powerhouse if that is what you want in a program and that we are not a massive academic institution with the name that people will mention on your residency diploma if that is what you are looking for as well.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
This is a unique program that produces great physicians that are well trained and well rounded. It is an operative heavy program with big city volume in a smaller place with a community feel that also provides a good academic experience as well. This is not a place that is going to focus as much on your scores/research/letters as much as who you are, how hard you work, how good of a teammate you will be, and how you fit in here. I think we are lucky to be training at one of the most uniquely excellent programs in the country.

Qualification

I am a current resident of this program.
Date of Rotation
Fall 2016
CS
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