Course Overview

Our goal is to offer students an example of how an orthopaedic surgeon treats conditions of the musculoskeletal system through history and physical exam, imaging evaluation, and both nonoperative and operative treatment. Students will be assigned to one of the many “services” within the Department of Orthopaedics umbrella for the duration of the 4-wk rotation. The services are distributed according to subspecialty and primary sites (UCSF, SF Veteran’s Affair, Zuckerberg San Francisco General, and Children’s Hospital Oakland), and each service treats a unique mix of patients and musculoskeletal pathologies. You will be exposed to patient evaluation and treatment in three clinical areas: outpatient clinic, inpatient wards/ER, and the operating room. We by no means expect a mastery of your assigned subspecialty over the course of the month, but we do hope you gain an understanding and appreciation of the basic principles.