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An orthopaedic surgeon examining a leg

Orthopaedic Surgery Central Residency

Join a team that puts learning first. 

About us

Ask our alumni why they chose an orthopaedic surgery residency at Geisinger and they’ll tell you there simply isn’t a better place to commit yourself to learning. We’ve carefully built our residency around education, not work, to create an experience unlike any other in the country — and our residents’ exceptional Orthopaedic In-Training Examination scores showcase the benefits of our approach. 

Since 1960, our innovative preceptorship training model has allowed our residents to develop and strengthen their skills and autonomy. Here, you’ll have high case volumes of patients who intentionally seek our groundbreaking care. You’ll enjoy protected time so you can focus on deep learning. You’ll discover mentors who truly want you to succeed. And you’ll develop friendships and contacts that will enrich your personal and professional lives for years to come. 

A Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgery residency isn’t just out of the ordinary — it’s extraordinary. Join us and discover what you can do with the camaraderie and support of a team that cares. 



Welcome from the program director

Joel Klena, MD, program director

Welcome to Geisinger Orthopaedics! We’re excited to have you visit, even if only virtually. On the following pages, we hope to provide you with enough information to see why our educational experience and unique learning environment are second to none.

Located in rural central Pennsylvania, our program matches four residents per year. With over 30 faculty members representing all orthopaedic surgical subspecialties, the opportunities for learning are unparalleled. While other programs around the country struggle to maintain case volumes and protect educational time, we continue to excel in producing first-rate surgeons and clinicians.

Our curriculum centers around a daily commitment to didactics and a unique mentorship model that has been in place for over 30 years. The majority of our three-month rotations pair residents one-on-one with a mentor attending. These preceptorships allow residents rapid autonomy and a depth of education not afforded with a traditional service model.

A departmental commitment to residents as learners, not as workers, is reflected in our extensive use of physician extenders to support each attending physician. Junior residents function independently, gaining early clinical and operative experience.

On a personal note, I am a product of this program. My decision to return after fellowship was an easy one: The opportunity to teach and continue Geisinger’s legacy of producing outstanding surgeons was enough for me.

Welcome! 

 

Welcome from the chair

Geisinger serves more than 1 million residents in 45 counties as a nonprofit, fully integrated health service organization dedicated to excellence in care, education, research and service. Our physician-led system includes a multidisciplinary physician group practice with systemwide aligned goals, successful clinical programs, a sophisticated information technology platform, a robust research program and an insurance provider, Geisinger Health Plan.

The goals of the Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute are to provide the highest-quality patient care, improve mobility and enhance the quality of life for all, while advancing the science of orthopaedic surgery and its related disciplines through research and education. Excellence pervades our patient care, teaching, learning, opportunities and diversity. We stand ready to achieve prominence by maintaining a mindset of “all things possible.”

Our residency program focuses on optimizing didactic and clinical excellence through an apprenticeship model that offers early one-on-one mentorship from leading faculty in all major orthopaedic subspecialties. Our major tertiary care referral center ensures exposure to the most complex orthopaedic pathology. Further enhancing the educational experience, our internal research infrastructure provides support and promotes our residents to pursue basic science and clinical research with the complement of internal funding sources.

Thank you for visiting our site, and I invite you to explore what sets us apart.

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