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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery UBC

OUR DEPARTMENT

The UBC Department of Orthopaedics has an international reputation for excellence in teaching, research and patient care. The Department consists of 110 faculty, 30 resident and 26 fellowship positions.

The Department is the only one in Canada operating as a distinct orthopaedic department within a Faculty of Medicine. In other Canadian medical schools, orthopaedics functions as a division within the Department of Surgery. The designation of “orthopaedics” rather than orthopaedic surgery, emphasizes the broad scope of the specialty which includes non-operative as well as operative care.

The seven divisions are: Arthroscopic, Reconstructive Surgery and Joint Preservation, Comprehensive Orthopaedics, Distal Extremities, Lower Limb Reconstruction and Oncology, Spine, Trauma and Paediatrics. The Department’s five-year residency program prepares residents for a career in general orthopaedics. Participants are exposed to all areas of orthopaedics, including general and paediatric orthopaedics, adult and children’s trauma, adult reconstructive orthopaedics, foot and ankle surgery, oncology, arthroscopic and sports-related surgery, back pain management and spine surgery, hand surgery and rehabilitation.

Medical student and resident rotations are held at many university-affiliated hospitals that include Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital, Eagle Ridge Hospital, Burnaby Hospital, BC’s Children’s Hospital, Lions Gate Hospital and Prince George Regional Hospital.

In terms of the residency program at the Vancouver General Hospital site, the emphasis is on adult reconstructive surgery, adult trauma, oncology, ICU, spine surgery and back pain management. At UBC Hospital, concentration is on upper extremity, including pathology of the shoulder, elbow, arthroscopic surgery, sports related injuries and adult reconstructive surgery. At Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, academic concentration is on trauma. At Eagle Ridge Hospital, emphasis is on hand and wrist surgery. At BC Children's Hospital, the focus is on paediatric orthopaedics. At St. Paul’s Hospital the focus is on surgery of the foot and ankle, as well as hand and wrist surgery. At Burnaby Hospital and Prince George Regional Hosptials, emphasis is on general orthopaedics.

The formal didactic academic aspect of the orthopaedic residency program is focused around the weekly academic half day (Thursday afternoons) during which there is a series of seminars, lectures and workshops. Academic focus is also emphasized during the weekly Departmental Grand Rounds held every Wednesday morning at 7:00 am in the Eye Care Centre at the Vancouver General Hospital site. Each of the academic sites and each of the divisional rotations hold their own rounds and teaching sessions during the week.