Premier Residency Training Programs
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.
Visit the Penn Resident Portal!
This branch of the website was designed by and for the Penn residents. It is a repository of our available and evolving resources for surgical training. Visit our site and please let us know if there is additional content you would like to contribute!
Resident Portal
Research: An Integral Part of our Mission
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.
A Perfect Balance for Individualized Development
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.
In This Section
The School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1765, it was the first and only medical school in the 13 American colonies.
Penn Orthopaedics is led by a strong team, including department chair, entity chairs, chiefs, and more.
We provide multiple educational opportunities for Penn and Visiting Medical Students.
Penn’s residency program provides broad exposure to orthopaedic surgery and an intense training environment, providing the knowledge and skill needed to succeed.
The fellowship programs offered by Penn Orthopaedics include a balance of intensive clinical experience, research, and teaching opportunities.
The Penn Human Tissue Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility where students, residents and attending physicians perform surgical training on fresh tissue.