University of Connecticut Health Center Visit the John Dempsey Hospital web site

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Health Center's John Dempsey Hospital is a 204-bed academic multi-specialty hospital which has been operational since January 1975. Excellent orthopaedic patient care and clinical research opportunities are available at the University Hospital. There is also an outstanding basic science research program including biomechanics, cell biology, and molecular biology science research being performed as part of the university’s Musculoskeletal Institute (MSI). The MSI represents the School of Medicine’s commitment to musculoskeletal care and particularly the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Residents with specific interest in this area are encouraged to develop a research program under the direction of the full-time faculty. In the near future the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will be offering one resident per year the opportunity to take an extra year of training to focus on basic science research.

The Medical Arts and Research Building (MARB) is a new state of the art facility on the UConn Health Center campus, which brings together orthopaedic surgery, rheumatology, endocrinology (osteoporosis), neurosurgery, and basic scientists as part of a Musculoskeletal Institute. One of the goals of the MSI is to enhance the care of patients with musculoskeletal problems by providing “one-stop shopping” at a single facility. The MARB contains clinical office space, radiology services including MRI, CT, and a DEXA scanner, physical therapy facilities including aqua therapy, and an ambulatory surgery center. The MARB also houses the orthopaedic surgery academic offices, a a 10,000 square foot basic science research space including our biomechanics lab, the Harry R. Gossling Orthopaedic Library (named in memory of the first Chairman of the University of Connecticut Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the founder of the Orthopaedic Residency Program), our resident resource center, and a six-station Bioskills Laboratory. The Orthopaedic Department is in a rapid growth phase with 3 new faculty members joining the practice this summer and plans to hire more faculty over the next 2 years.

At the present time 4 residents rotate at the UConn Health Center.  Three residents cover the orthopaedic service, including the State’s prisoner population, while one resident is dedicated to sports medicine. These four share the home call schedule, with the PGY-5 serving as backup for the PGY-2. There are three hospital-based physician assistants who help with the day-to-day patient care as well as with many of the specialty clinics.

Hartford Hospital Visit the Hartford Hospital web site.

Hartford Hospital, the region’s major Level 1 trauma center and site of LIFE STAR, an air ambulance service, has 850 active beds.

At any given time, the largest concentration of residents is at Hartford Hospital, where two are dedicated to joint replacements, three to orthopaedic trauma, one to ambulatory surgery and one to hand surgery. There are several physician assistants who help with day-to-day patient care, as well as with in-house night call.

Hartford Hospital is unique in that they have dedicated orthopaedic surgical staff, as well as a dedicated trauma room that starts at noon each day. The previous day’s on-call surgeon has first rights to the room and staff. In order to allow the PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents to help perform these great trauma cases, Sunday through Thursday night primary in-house call is covered by our team of physician assistants. The PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents cover primary in-house call from 5PM Friday through 5 p.m Sunday.  A PGY-4 or PGY-5 resident takes home call to backup the physician assistants and PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents.

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Visit the Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center web site.

Saint Francis, Connecticut's third largest hospital with 650 beds and the largest Catholic hospital in New England, provides valuable opportunities for the residency program.

At Saint Francis, the three residents cover all general orthopaedics, with each resident in a mentor relationship with two or three specific attending surgeons. An Emergency Medicine resident rounds out the team. Saint Francis has three physician assistants who help with the day-to-day patient care, serve as first assistants when necessary, and cover call every Tuesday and Thursday night. The residents cover the remaining weeknights and all weekends with home call. The Emergency Medicine resident takes primary call with the PGY-4 as backup, while the PGY-2 and PGY-3 take primary call alone.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Visit the CCMC web site.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) garners a large pediatric orthopaedic referral base and is equipped with excellent modern facilities. For six months during the PGY-3 year, the residents are exposed to patients with scoliosis, cerebral palsy, myelomeningocele, congenital and developmental hip disorders, congenital and metabolic bone disease, foot pathology, pediatric sports medicine, and every facet of pediatric orthopaedic trauma.

While at CCMC, each resident is in a mentor relationship with a single attending for one month at a time. A highly qualified staff of three full-time and two part-time pediatric orthopaedic surgeons provide an excellent educational environment for the resident at CCMC. Weekly pre-operative and post-operative conference, journal club, and didactic lectures provide full immersion in the pediatric orthopaedic experience. The residents will learn the principles of orthopaedic surgery, surgical indications, and post-operative rehabilitations well as the art of non-operative management of trauma and disease. During the rotation, each resident will complete a research project which should produce a publishable presentation.

In addition, CCMC boasts one of the most technologically advanced motion analysis labs in the country; this facility and its full-time staff are available to the residents for learning and research opportunities. Finally, the Department of Physical Therapy is extremely active, and the Orthotics and Prosthetics shop is outstanding.

New Britain General Hospital Visit the New Britain General Hospital web site.

During the PGY-1 year, each orthopaedic resident will complete two rotations at New Britain General hospital (NBGH): One month in the medical/surgical intensive care unit, and two months on the general surgery service.

NBGH is a 330-bed hospital that has nearly 400 community-based physicians and a support staff of highly experienced and compassionate medical professionals. NBGH has received national recognition for excellence in numerous areas, most recently being named one of the Top 100 hospital ICUs in the country by Solucient Leadership Institute.

While in the 20-bed ICU, the resident will work with a team comprised of internal medicine and other rotating residents to manage critically ill medical and surgical patients. This setting is less critical than the other hospitals, yet still affords the resident excellent experience in hemodynamic and multi-system organ management as well as multiple minor surgical procedures including central line placement and thoracocentesis.

The two months spent on general surgery are done with a general surgery PGY-4 as chief and a PGY-3 completing the team. Operating experience is high-volume, and floor duties are quite manageable with the help of full-time physician assistant staff. Call is in-house approximately every fourth or fifth night. Attending staff are very collegial and appreciate having orthopaedic residents in the OR with them. Occasionally, when there are no other general surgery duties to attend to, the resident can request to assist Dr. Robert Carangelo, an orthopaedic attending who is a graduate of the UConn residency program.