Orthopaedic Surgery Northeast Residency
Place compassionate care at the center of your learning journey.
About us
If you’re interested in building community as much as building a practice, you’ll discover a team of like-minded educators and learners during your Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgery Northeast Residency. Our program develops board-eligible, well-rounded physicians who put a premium on compassion — for their patients, their colleagues and their communities.
We’ve built our orthopaedic surgery residency around Geisinger’s core values of kindness, excellence, learning and innovation. That’s because your ability to care for patients is formed by your knowledge base, surgical skill set and personal devotion to the people you serve. Research and scholarly activity are critical ways to improve the quality of your work, and we encourage you to pursue a lifetime of rich intellectual pursuits — but exceptional care will be your focus if you choose a Geisinger orthopaedics residency.
Here, you’ll join a community that serves community. Our attending physicians bring their diverse training backgrounds to the table, representing a broad array of orthopaedic surgery subspecialties. Our physician community serves a huge population from urban and rural backgrounds and different economic levels across several unique training sites. A residency here will expose you to a mix of residents, patients and opportunities you simply won’t find anywhere else.
When knowledge meets compassion, great things happen. Interested in learning more? Read on and discover how you can make a difference at Geisinger.
Visiting Students
Welcome from the program director
Hello, and welcome to the Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgery Northeast Residency program!
We founded this program to provide residents with a unique opportunity to learn in a first-class health system while maintaining a close-knit relationship with faculty. Our program, based in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pa., is the next chapter in Geisinger’s long history of training orthopaedic surgery residents. Our residency builds on this tradition by collaborating with the existing orthopaedic surgery residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., giving us a strong foundation for success.
Here, you’ll have the freedom to focus solely on learning — physician extenders maximize educational opportunities for residents. We use a preceptor model for our resident rotations, providing you with a dedicated three-month rotation with one faculty member for an unparalleled educational experience. This close working relationship will also give you more opportunities for autonomy, which are vitally important in a hands-on specialty like orthopaedic surgery.
Our location in northeastern Pennsylvania offers the best of all possible worlds. You’ll be exposed to a range of patients from diverse backgrounds, including urban, suburban and rural settings — not to mention professional athletes who play for minor league hockey and baseball teams. As an orthopaedic and sports medicine referral center serving a large population, our expertise is in demand across multiple subspecialties and two busy Level II trauma centers.
But Geisinger is more than a great place to train. It’s also an amazing place to call home. Our location is nestled in the Pocono Mountains, yet is just two hours from both New York City and Philadelphia. It’s a family-friendly, comfortable place with seemingly endless recreational opportunities, such as hiking, biking, kayaking and skiing. Several entertainment venues bring in popular musicians, comedians and minor-league sports teams.
Thanks for considering our residency. Though we’re a newer program, we have the support, expertise and dedication to provide a fantastic learning experience. Explore our website and reach out — we’d love for you to call our part of the world home, too.
Sincerely,
Kenneth L. Koury, MD
Director of the Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgery Northeast Residency
Director of Orthopaedic Trauma, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
Kenneth L. Koury, MD
Welcome from the chair
Dear future orthopaedic colleagues:
In 2021, we ushered in a new era of musculoskeletal education in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. The Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgery Northeast Residency program is the younger sibling of the Geisinger Orthopaedic Central Residency program based in Danville, Pa., which has built upon its reputation for excellence in training since 1958.
Under the auspices of the Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute, the Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgery Northeast Residency program joins our graduate medical education programs in physical medicine and rehabilitation and podiatry, and fellowships in primary care sports medicine, spine and adult reconstruction.
As our Geisinger orthopaedics family expands, our shared clinical resources, technologies and common mission aim to deliver the best in musculoskeletal care with an “all things possible” mindset.
Our program was developed over many years of careful deliberation and planning. We draw from our incredibly talented pool of clinicians, educators and researchers to compose our dedicated orthopaedic faculty, led by inaugural program director Ken Koury, MD. Our program delivers clinical experiences of the highest quality, including early and robust surgical exposure with graduated responsibility under our unique and proven preceptorship model.
As a national model for healthcare transformation that specializes in delivering superior care at an affordable cost, Geisinger immerses you in the future of healthcare. We created the world’s first lifetime guarantee for total joint replacement, discovered the genetic markers for idiopathic avascular necrosis of the hip, changed the paradigm of patient reported outcomes in musculoskeletal care and led the country on digital tools for postsurgical recovery — and we’re just getting started.
We have so much more to share, and we look forward to meeting you!
Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACSChief Physician Officer, Geisinger System Services
Professor and Chair, Musculoskeletal Institute & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Geisinger and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS
Program overview
PGY1: Foundational year
The first year of residency (PGY1) serves as an introduction to general clinical care and basic orthopaedic principles. The first 6 months focus on off-service rotations, building fundamental skills in patient care across various clinical disciplines. Many residents choose to take USMLE Step 3 during this time, with the program covering the exam's registration cost for the first attempt.
Following these off-service rotations, residents participate in a comprehensive Orthopaedic Surgery Bootcamp, a 4-week training course that introduces core orthopaedic skills and concepts. The latter half of the year transitions to a preceptorship model in orthopaedic surgery, where residents receive close mentorship from attending surgeons.
First 6 months of PGY1
Six 4-week off-service rotations in:
- General Surgery – Trauma
- Surgical ICU
- Vascular Surgery
- Emergency Medicine
- Musculoskeletal Radiology
- Anesthesia
Additional clinical responsibilities:
- Weekend Orthopaedic Surgery Buddy Call: Once monthly
Orthopaedic Surgery Bootcamp (4 weeks)
A focused training period that introduces essential surgical and orthopaedic skills.
- Surgical Skills Development: Practice of basic surgical techniques including knot tying, suturing and basic operative maneuvers
- Orthopaedic Skills Training: Principles of external fixation (Ex-fix), skeletal traction and ORIF (Open Reduction and Internal Fixation)
- Cadaveric Surgical Dissections: Guided dissections with a focus on anatomy and surgical approaches
- Intern-Led Anatomy and Approach Lectures: Resident presentation of orthopaedic anatomy and approaches, fostering teaching skills and deeper learning
- Supervised Surgical Approaches: Hands-on training under attending surgeon supervision
Last 5 months of PGY1
Four 6-week orthopaedic surgery preceptorships:
- Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
- Orthopaedic Trauma
- Adult Reconstruction
- Hand Surgery
On-call duties:
- Weekend Buddy Call: Once monthly
- Weeknight Buddy Call: Twice monthly
PGY2-PGY5: Advanced orthopaedic training
From PGY2 through PGY5, residents follow a structured training path. The preceptorship model continues, allowing residents to work closely with experienced attendings in various orthopaedic subspecialties with graduated autonomy.
PGY2: Early specialization
In the second year, residents focus intensively on core areas of orthopaedics, building upon the foundational skills learned in PGY-1.
Rotations (3-month blocks)
- Orthopaedic Trauma
- Pediatric Orthopaedics
- Hand Surgery
- General Orthopaedics
Surgical skills
- Residents actively participate in surgical cases, assisting and performing basic orthopaedic procedures under supervision.
- Pre-operative and post-operative care responsibilities increase.
On-call duties
- Residents take on independent orthopaedic on-call responsibilities under close supervision from attending surgeons and senior residents.
PGY3: Expanding subspecialty knowledge
The third year exposes residents to more advanced orthopaedic subspecialties, while also providing dedicated time for research.
Rotations (3-month blocks)
- Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
- Orthopaedic Spine Surgery
- Adult Reconstruction Surgery
- Research and Orthopaedic Oncology (Combined Block)
Surgical skills
- Residents continue in the preceptorship model and will be able to perform more complex surgeries with less direct supervision, transitioning into lead roles in the OR for routine cases.
- Focus on subspecialty-specific techniques and patient management.
Research and scholarly activity
- Residents engage in clinical or basic science research, with a goal of producing a presentation or publication by the end of this rotation.
- Collaboration with attending surgeons on research projects.
PGY4: Senior resident
As senior residents, PGY4 residents gain increasing autonomy in both clinical and surgical settings. They are expected to manage cases more independently and take on leadership roles within the residency.
Rotations (3-month blocks)
- Adult Reconstruction
- Foot and Ankle Surgery
- Pediatric Orthopaedics
- Orthopaedic Oncology
Surgical skills
- Greater autonomy in complex orthopaedic cases, with residents taking on the role of lead surgeon for many procedures.
- Management of more challenging cases, with the expectation of minimal attending intervention.
Mentorship and teaching
- Senior residents help train and mentor junior residents and medical students.
- Leadership responsibilities in the OR, clinics and academic settings increase
PGY5: Chief resident year
The final year of residency serves as the culmination of orthopaedic training, with residents fully prepared to manage the most complex cases. As chief residents, PGY5s take on significant leadership roles within the residency and assume near-total autonomy in surgical cases.
Rotations
- Chief rotations in subspecialties of the resident's choice, providing tailored experiences aligned with career goals (e.g., arthroplasty, trauma, sports medicine).
Surgical skills
- Chief residents perform the majority of operative cases with minimal supervision.
- They are responsible for making independent clinical decisions in complex patient care scenarios.
Board preparation and transition to practice
- Extensive preparation for board certification in orthopaedic surgery.
- Residents receive guidance on fellowship opportunities or transition into independent practice.
As a large integrated health system, we participate in patient care at multiple clinical sites. However, we do not cover multiple hospitals while on call, and we do not travel between clinical sites throughout a typical day. Clinical sites include:
- Geisinger Wyoming Valley
- 1000 East Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre
- Level 1 trauma center
- Geisinger Community Medical Center
- 1800 Mulberry St., Scranton
- Level 2 trauma center
- Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre
- 25 Church St., Wilkes-Barre
- Community hospital
- Geisinger Healthplex
- 1201 Oak St., Pittston
- Outpatient clinics and surgery center
- Geisinger Orthopaedic Clinic
- 1175 East Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre
- Outpatient clinic
- Geisinger Orthopaedic Clinic – Steamtown
- 300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton
- Outpatient clinc
- Surgical skills lab
- Geisinger College of Health Sciences
- 525 Pine St., Scranton
- Direct access to undergraduate medical education
Othopaedic subspecialties available include:
- Trauma
- Adult reconstruction
- Sports
- Shoulder and elbow
- Hand
- Spine
- General orthopaedics
- Orthopaedic oncology (Danville)
- Pediatrics (Danville)
Orthopaedic surgery home-call includes coverage at our Level 1 trauma center, Geisinger Wyoming Valley, where we only provide in-person consultations. All call shifts are home-based, meaning we are not required to sleep in the hospital, but are provided call rooms. If driving from home, residents must be within 30 minutes of the hospital to respond appropriately to emergencies.
Starting as a PGY1, you will take orthopaedic buddy call from home on select weekends (1 shift per month). Halfway through PGY1 year, you will start taking orthopaedic buddy call during the week (Monday through Thursday, 2 nights per month) in addition to one weekend shift. As you progress through your training, you will gain more autonomy with patient care and clinical decision-making.
Starting midway through PGY2, residents take solo overnight home call. Junior residents take buddy call on weekends with senior residents.
Starting PGY2, residents have opportunities to take paid moonlighting. Moonlighting opportunities include conducting PIAA pre-sport participation physical examinations and sports coverage including high school football, college hockey and college football. Residents may volunteer to cover professional hockey and professional baseball with our attending physicians.
Our program strongly believes in education over service and therefore we hold daily protected didactic time from Monday through Friday from 6 – 7:45 a.m. Our didactics schedule generally consists of:
- Didactics
- 6 – 6:45 a.m. Didactic conference for all orthopedic residents (led mainly by attendings and sometimes the residents)
- 6:45 – 7 a.m. Daily fracture conference
- 7 – 7:45 a.m. Protected time for residents to do Orthobullets questions to prepare for the OITE
- Morbidity & Mortality & Management conference
- Education focused discussion of case presentations
- Resident-led discussions
- Attending moderated
- Journal club
- One Wednesday, monthly
- Subspecialty correlates with didactic schedule
- Resident presentations
- Attending moderated discussions of critical ABOS knowledge level literature
- Sporadic supplemental industry-sponsored journal club
- Research day
- Occurs 4 times per year
- Residents present current ideas, progress and goals in group forum with open input
- Fifth Friday
- Occurs 4 times throughout year
- Educational activity in morning
- Residents are excused from clinical rotations for education followed by team bonding and wellness activities in the afternoon
PGY2: AO Trauma Basic Principles of Fracture Management Course
PGY3: International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium
PGY4: Specialty Conference of Residents Choice
PGY5: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting
PGY5: Miller Review Course for ABOS Step One Written Boards
Residents at Geisinger have access to a large fully integrated healthcare system with a large, stable patient population enhanced by an advanced and long standing electronic medical record system with an accessible clinical data warehouse. In addition to immense data, we are benefitted by an advanced clinical informatics team with extensive experience.
For more information, visit our Research Institute webpages.
- D'Ambrosio M, Tang A, Menken L, Hagag AT, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Adjunct neutralization plating in patella fracture fixation: a technical trick. OTA International: The Open Access Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. 2022 Dec 1; 5(4): e217.
- Tang A, Singh V, Sharan M, Roof MA, Mercuri JJ, Meftah M, Schwarzkopf R. The accuracy of component positioning during revision total hip arthroplasty using 3D optical computer-assisted navigation. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2022 Sep 8. doi: 10.1007/s00590-022-03383-z.
- Singh V, Tang A, Bieganowski T, Anil U, Macaulay W, Schwarzkopf R, Davidovitch RI. Fluctuation of visual analog scale pain scores and opioid consumption before and after total hip arthroplasty. World J Orthop. 2022 Aug 18; 13(8): 703-713.
- Romanelli FF, Tang A, Liporace FA. New mother with hip pain. Orthopedics Today. 2022 Jul 15.
- Liporace FA, Tang A, Jankowski JM, Yoon RS. Distal femur: nail-plate combination and the linked construct. OTA International: The Open Access Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. 2022 Jul 18; 5(3): e172.
- Foster BK, Grampp SJ, Ozdag Y, Tang A, Vazquez F, Mercuri JJ. Assessing the quality, content, and readability of online patient resources on viscosupplementation. J Orthop Experience Innov. 2024 Oct 4; 5(2). doi: 10.60118/001c.120353.
- Ozdag Y, Makar GS, Goltz DE, Seyler TM, Mercuri JJ, Pallis M. Validation of a discharge risk calculator for rural patients following total joint arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2024 Jun 24; S0883-5403(24)00646-6. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2024.06.047.
- Chen KK, Anoushiravani AA, Mercuri JJ, Nardi MA, Berger J, Maldonado T, Iorio R. Predicting pulmonary embolism in total joint arthroplasty patients: A pilot study. Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013). 2024 Jun; 82(2): 124-133. PMID: 38739660.
- Foster BK, Rae MA, Torino DJ, Mercuri JJ, Horwitz DS. Warm saline irrigation protocol decreases cement curing time in hip arthroplasty. Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013). 2023 Sep; 81(3): 205-207. PMID: 37639350.
- Tarwala R, Mercuri JJ, Iorio R, Karkare N. Ethical considerations in total joint arthroplasty. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2023 Oct 1; 31(19): 1001-1008. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-22-00941.
- Mun JS, Parry MW, Tang A, Manikowski JJ, Crinella C, Mercuri JJ. Patient "no-show" increases the risk of 90-day complications following primary total knee arthroplasty: A retrospective cohort study of 6,776 patients. J Arthroplasty. 2023 Dec; 38(12): 2587-2591.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2023.05.089.
- Luciani AM, Parry M, Udoeyo IF, Suk M, Mercuri JJ, DelSole EM. Physician perspectives on telemedicine at an integrated health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemed J E Health. 2023 Nov; 29(11): 1634-1641. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2022.0184.
- Aynaszyan S, Devia LG, Parry MW, Badve S, DelSole EM. Patterns of misdiagnosis and discordance in detecting osteoporosis: A comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and lumbar CT Hounsfield units. Clin Spine Surg. 2023 Oct 1; 36(8): E369-E374. doi: 10.1097/BSD.0000000000001466.
- Parry MW, Markowitz JS, Nordberg CM, Patel A, Bronson WH, DelSole EM. Patient perspectives on artificial intelligence in healthcare decision making: A multi-center comparative study. Indian J Orthop. 2023 Mar 2; 57(5): 653-665. doi: 10.1007/s43465-023-00845-2.
- Tang A, Singh V, Sharan M, Roof MA, Mercuri JJ, Meftah M, Schwarzkopf R. The accuracy of component positioning during revision total hip arthroplasty using 3D optical computer-assisted navigation. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2023 Jul; 33(5): 1989-1995. doi: 10.1007/s00590-022-03383-z.
- Gencarelli P, Yawman JP, Tang A, Salandra J, North DD, Menken LG, Green CC, Haidukewych GJ, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Extensor mechanism reconstruction after total knee arthroplasty with allograft versus synthetic mesh: A multicenter retrospective cohort. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2023 Jan 1; 31(1): e23-e34.
- Deliso M, Baskar S, Gencarelli P, Tang A, Jankowski JM, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for younger patients: A comparable analysis of patients older and younger than 65 years. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Global Res Rev. 2023 Jun; 7(6): e22.00264.
- Heiman E, Menken LG, Tang A, Vialonga M, Jankowski JM, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Early versus standard weight bearing following operative treatment of tibial plateau fractures: Do we really have to wait so long? J Knee Surg. 2023 Aug 16; Online ahead of print.
- Yurek JW, Doerr NA, Tang A, Kohring AS, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Assessing the necessity of extra reduction aides in intramedullary nailing of intertrochanteric hip fractures. Hip Pelvis. 2023 Sep 1; 35(3): 183-192.
- Deliso M, Tang A, Yoon RS, Liporace FA. Management of ligament injuries of the ankle. In: Herscovici D Jr, Anglen J, Early JS. The Evaluation and Surgical Management of the Ankle. Cham, CH: Springer International Publishing; 2023 Sep 19: 87-106.
- Keller DM, Saad BN, Hong IS, Gencarelli P, Tang A, Jankowski JM, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Comparison of outcomes after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in patients with proximal humerus fractures versus rotator cuff arthropathy. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Global Res Rev. 2023 Oct 1; 7(10): e23.00160.
- Fiedler B, Singh V, Tang A, Marwin S, Meftah M, Schwarzkopf R. Impact of a novel navigational technology on short-term patient outcomes following total knee arthroplasty: A propensity matched cohort study. Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013). 2023 Dec; 81(4): 273-278.
- Bouchard A, Mun J, Vazquez F, Tang A, Delsole E, Strom R, Chen T. Radiographic robustness of lumbar interbody fusion techniques. Global Spine J. 2024 Jan 10; Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1177/21925682241226659.
- Attenasio A, Gencarelli P Jr, Doerr NA, Tang A, Liporace FA, Yoon RS, Jankowski JM. Cemented versus uncemented humeral stem fixation in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: A cohort comparison. J Am Osteopath Acad Orthop. 2023 Aug 7.
- Vijayakumar G, Tang A, Vance D, Yoon RS, Sweeney K, Blank AT. Does perioperative radiation affect implant survivorship of primary total hip arthroplasty in the setting of metastatic bone disease? Arthroplasty Today. 2024 Feb 1; 25: 101296.
- Shah JK, Abwini LZ, Tang A, Yang JI, Keller DM, Menken LG, Liporace FA, Yoon RS. Comparative
- Girgis, M., Tang, A., Gawel, A., Culp, R. “Dorsal Wrist Approach For Motion Sparing Total Wrist Arthroplasty” AAOS OVT Video. Nov. 12, 2024. https://www.aaos.org/videos/video-detail-page/27228__Videos?cc=GEISINGERVIDEOS
- Girgis, M., Tang, A., Gawel, A., Culp, R. “Arthroscopic Trapeziectomy with Rolled Allograft Interposition for Thumb CMC Joint Arthritis” AAOS OVT Video. Nov. 12, 2024. https://www.aaos.org/videos/video-detail-page/27227__Videos?cc=GEISINGERVIDEOS
- Girgis, M., Koury, K. “ORIF of a Severely Comminuted, Displaced Iliac Wing Fracture: Anterior Approach to the Iliac Wing and SI Joint” AAOS OVT Video. Nov. 12, 2024. https://www.aaos.org/videos/video-detail-page/27226__Videos?cc=GEISINGERVIDEOS
- Girgis, M., Tang, A., Gawel, A., Culp, R. “ORIF of a Perilunate Dislocation” AAOS OVT Video. Jun. 20, 2024. https://www.aaos.org/videos/video-detail-page/27217__Videos?cc=GEISINGERVIDEOS
- Matthew W. Parry, MD, MS: EOEF Marc C. Levine, MD Travel Grant: Awarded to Resident or Fellow with one of the top abstracts accepted for presentation at EOA’s Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, FL, 2024.
- Alex Tang, MD: EOEF Johannes F. Plate, MD Travel Grant: Awarded to Resident or Fellow with one of the top abstracts accepted for presentation at EOA’s Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, FL, 2024.