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Learn moreOur Orthopedic Residency Program
The Orthopedic Residency Program at SBH Health System provides hands-on orthopedic experience in a high-volume, regional trauma center in the Bronx.
Because SBH is both a teaching hospital and a safety-net hospital, we train future orthopedic surgeons to care for diverse populations with cultural sensitivity and expertise.
The SBH Orthopedic Residency Program provides a comprehensive, structured cognitive and clinical education, exposing you to a variety of socioeconomic and clinical settings to help you become a competent and proficient orthopedic surgeon.
Welcome
Dear Prospective Orthopedic Surgery Resident,
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the new Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program at St. Barnabas Hospital (SBH). As Program Director, I am thrilled to introduce a training program built from the ground up to address the evolving needs of orthopedic surgery and to develop the next generation of compassionate, highly skilled surgeons.
Our residency program has been carefully designed to provide a comprehensive, well-balanced training experience that integrates a rigorous operative curriculum with a strong academic and research foundation. We have secured ACGME accreditation, reflecting our commitment to excellence in graduate medical education.
What sets our program apart:
Diverse clinical and surgical experience:
At SBH, residents will manage a wide range of orthopedic conditions, including high-volume, complex trauma. Through our dedicated subspecialty rotations, you will gain focused experience across the breadth of orthopedics. Pediatric Orthopedics training is provided at Nemours Children’s Hospital, while musculoskeletal tumor rotations are held at Morristown Medical Center, ensuring exposure to highly specialized cases.
Research opportunities with academic affiliation:
Our formal affiliation with CUNY School of Medicine provides residents with a dedicated research rotation. From the PGY-1 year onward, residents are paired with faculty mentors and strongly encouraged to present at regional, national, and international conferences.
Early operative experience:
Our program emphasizes hands-on learning from the start, with one-on-one apprenticeship-style teaching by experienced faculty. Residents progressively build technical skills to prepare for independent practice or competitive subspecialty fellowships.
A culture of mentorship and camaraderie:
Our faculty are deeply committed to teaching and mentoring, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. We view residents not only as learners, but as valued members of our team. Resident well-being and professional growth are central to our culture.
Commitment to excellence in patient care:
SBH serves a vibrant and diverse Bronx community. We are dedicated to training physicians who embody professionalism, compassion, and integrity while delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
This is a unique opportunity to join our program at its inception. As a founding resident, you will not only receive exceptional training but will also have the chance to help shape the identity and future of the residency. We are seeking hard-working, team-oriented, and motivated individuals eager to meet this challenge.
We invite you to learn more about our program and welcome you to reach out with any questions. For additional information or support, please contact our Residency Coordinator, April Williams.
Thank you again for your interest in SBH Orthopedic Surgery. I look forward to reviewing your application and hope you will consider joining us in this exciting new venture.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Bavaro, MD, MPH
Program Director, Orthopedic Surgery Residency
SBH Health System
Our program overview
The five-year Orthopedic Residency Program at SBH is ACGME-accredited and focused on teaching:
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Medical knowledge
- Patient care
- Practice-based learning and improvement
- Professionalism
- Systems-based practice
- Cultural humility
Clinical curriculum, requirements and benefits
Our residency program offers a progressive curriculum with the following core rotations:
- 6 months of general adult orthopedics
- 2 months of general surgery/trauma and ICU
- 2 months of emergency
- 2 months of vascular/plastic surgery
- 4 months of hand and spine surgery
- 4 months of adult reconstruction and sports medicine surgery
- 4 months of orthopedic trauma/foot and ankle surgery
- 4 months of general adult orthopedics at the CUNY School of Medicine
- Engage in research and serve as anatomy instructors to medical students at CUNY
- Take night on-call duties at SBH
- 4 months of orthopaedic tumor surgery at Morristown Medical Center (MMC)
- 4 months of pediatric orthopaedic surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware (NCHD)
- 4 months of pediatric orthopedic surgery at NCHD
- 4 months of adult reconstruction/sports medicine surgery at SBH
- 4 months of spine/hand surgery at SBH
- 4 months of adult reconstruction/sports medicine surgery at SBH
- 4 months of spine/hand surgery at SBH
- 4 months of trauma/foot and ankle surgery at SBH
During your PGY 5-year subspecialty rotations, you are responsible for presenting morbidity and mortality cases at grand rounds and leading subspecialty education and presentations.
Also, during your trauma/foot and ankle surgery rotation, you serve as administrative chief resident, overseeing the curriculum, including daily rounds and grand rounds, and participating in the clinical competence committee, making sure all cases and clinics are covered. You also coordinate the on-call schedule for SBH, in conjunction with the SBH residency program director and residency program coordinator. In addition, you help facilitate and oversee the education of CUNY medical students doing rotations or electives on the orthopedic service.
Finally, during your time as administrative chief resident, you have one half-day each week as protected time for research. You receive preference to shore up any potential operating caseload deficits required for graduation, as well as preference of cases going on at SBH, if you’ve met all curriculum guidelines, to gain additional experience in a certain area.
We accept two residents and one clinical research fellow each year. To apply, you must have:
- A strong interest in the field of orthopaedics and in serving a safety-net patient population
- Graduated from medical school
- Successfully completed and passed USMLE Step 1 and Step 2
How to apply
Submit your application through ERAS.
For more information about our program, contact:
April Williams
Coordinator, Orthopedic Residency Program
awilliams2@sbhny.org
Our residency program benefits include:
- 20 days of vacation per year
- A $650 annual stipend
- Medical, dental and disability insurance
- Prescription drug plan
- Professional liability coverage for all activities that are approved components of the residency program
- Reduced parking rates
- Salary commensurate with postgraduate year
- Sick leave accrual (one day per month the first year, then 12 days per year)
- Scrubs
All conditions of employment, including compensation and benefits, are negotiated with the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU, which represents all interns, residents and fellows.
7-1-2025 Salary (5%):
- PGY1: $80,160
- PGY2: $84,795
- PGY3: $90,358
- PGY4: $94,994
- PGY5: $100,279
We pair residents with both a faculty member mentor and a senior resident mentor. When possible, we pair junior residents with their senior resident mentor during on-call duty at SBH.
Resident Wellness at SBH
We offer a wealth of resources to ensure a smooth transition into our residency programs. We also provide detailed wellness information, highlighting the support systems in place to maintain your physical and mental health during your residency.
Resident Wellness
Didactic Curriculum
The didactic curriculum covers:
- Daily intake conferences focused on clinical exposure and didactic teaching of musculoskeletal radiology
- Discussion of patient history and reviews of:
- Clinical indications
- Fracture classifications (when indicated)
- Imaging studies
- Potential complications
- Surgical and nonsurgical treatments
- Surgical approaches
- Grand rounds
- Combined monthly M&M
- Faculty presentations overseen by the program director, site director, program coordinator and administrative senior residents (PGY 4 at DH and PGY 5 at SBH)
- Guest lecturers
- Presentations from other fields or specialties on non-orthopaedic topics, such as ethics and medical devices
- Resident presentations
- Simulation lab demonstrations
- Specialty journal club
- New consult, postoperative and preoperative case review
As a resident, you also participate in fracture conferences, basic science lectures, pathology conferences and orthopedic in-training examination (OITE) reviews.
- PGY 1: Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
- PGY 2: OTA Residents Basic Fracture Course
- PGY 3: AAOS Fundamental Knee & Shoulder Arthroscopy for Residents in Rosemont, Illinois
- PGY 4: One subspecialty annual meeting of your choice of: AANA, AAHS, OTA, POSNA, AOFAS, AAHKS or NASS
- PGY 5: AAOS annual meeting if presenting a poster or research, as well as Miller’s Review Course in Westminster, Colorado, and Pathology Review Course at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City
As an orthopedic resident, you have opportunities to complete hospital performance improvement, community service and clinical research projects.
Application Process
How to apply
Submit your application through ERAS.
For more information about our program, contact:
April Williams
Coordinator, Orthopedic Residency Program
awilliams2@sbhny.org
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