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How to Apply

Application Materials

All application materials for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery residency program are processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applications must include the following:

  • ERAS application form
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • USMLE scores
  • Photograph (for identification purposes during the interview)

The application deadline is Nov. 1 of the year prior to entry (e.g., a deadline of Nov. 1, 2023, for the academic year 2024-25). It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the required records and correspondence have been submitted to ERAS prior to the deadline. No late applications will be considered.

Interview Process

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's Residency Acceptance & Review Committee will conduct interviews in virtual format over four possible interview dates in December and January. Invitations will be sent via email through ERAS and are held over a four-day period. They are schedule as virtual interviews that will last approximately 3 hours.  Applicants will be given information regarding program structure and didactics prior to their faculty interviews.

Applicants will meet with the chief residents for a brief presentation and then tour the hospital facility. Applicants will also meet with department chair Terrance D. Peabody, MD, program director and chairman of the selection committee Kevin D. Hardt, MD, members of the faculty and the chief residents for a more in-depth discussion.

Curriculum

Six residents are selected each year through the National Resident Matching Program. Incoming residents spend the first year in a core program that includes rotations in trauma, emergency medicine, general surgery, neurological surgery and plastic surgery. Throughout their residency, our residents participate in courses through the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the AO Basic Course, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and the Orthopaedic Pathology Course, among others.

We offer training rich in clinical variety, flexiblity and responsibility. Residents receive training and balanced clinical experience in a variety of subspecialties. See our Medical Specialties section for more detail.

Resident Research

We believe research is an integral part of our resident's education. Not only is research part of developing a trainee's medical knowledge regarding orthopedic surgery, but it initiates them on a path for lifelong learning within the field. It is a critical skill to be able to evaluate research to determine its quality of the work and also its impact on clinical care.

With that in mind, we have developed a structured program for residents to not only evaluate current research in publication, but also to complete their own research projects for submission prior to graduation. Each year of residency has different milestones necessary for the progression of a minimum of one to two research projects prior to graduation. Most residents that graduate from the program exceed this expectation. Great mentorship throughout the department combined with a structured research development plan has made resident research from our department very productive and educational.

To learn more about research projects, please visit our Research section. If you have any questions regarding the research infrastructure within our department, please feel free to contact us.

Contact Us

Program Director

Kevin_hardt

Kevin D. Hardt, MD

More Information

For information on the residency program or to check the status of your application, please contact residency coordinator Latisha Emerson-Henderson. Additional resident information is also available via the Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center Graduate Medical Education website.

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