Prospective Residents

How to Apply

Application Information

Orthopaedic surgery residency positions continue to be very competitive. For specific application and interview data, please visit ORIN™. Applicants are encouraged to do a rotation at our institution.

We participate in the National Match through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) and currently fill five spots per year. The deadline for applications is October 20, 2023. We do not require any additional forms, but the application must contain:

  • At least three letters of recommendation
  • USLME scores
  • Dean's letter
  • Personal statement
  • Transcript

Contact

Administrative Program Coordinator
Michelle Ambrosio
Phone: 860-679-6679
Fax: 860-679-1897

UConn Musculoskeletal Institute
UConn Health
120 Dowling Way
Farmington, CT 06030

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Interviews

Faculty from each of the teaching hospitals affiliated with our program and our current residents participate in interview days.

Interviews for the 2024 Match will be held on Friday, December 1, 2023 and Saturday, December 2, 2023 virtually. Each day of interviews begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. and will be complete by 3:30 p.m.

Resident Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Our residency program selects applicants based on their preparedness, ability, academic credentials, aptitude, communication skills, and personal qualities such as work ethic, motivation, and integrity. The UConn Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the UConn Musculoskeletal Institute, and the Orthopedics Residency are committed to a culture of equity, inclusion, and diversity. We are dedicated to creating and nurturing an environment that is safe for all residents, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion to learn and practice. Our learners, employees, and patients should experience an environment free of harassment, sexual misconduct, and discrimination. We will continue to promote an inclusive culture which supports, encourages, and celebrates diversity and inclusion. By actively working to recruit women and underrepresented minorities, we aim to help create a more diverse orthopedic workforce that better mirrors the communities we serve.

Learn more about our eligibility requirements and selection.

View a Sample Resident Agreement Letter (PDF)

Read more about our employment benefits.

Match Data Comparison Chart

2022 Match 2023 Match
Number of Applicants 1,000 895
Number of Interviews 54 67
Number of Rotators 30 42
% Rotators Interviewed 90% 95%
Mean Step 1 Score 246 245
Lowest Step 1 Score 219 211
Highest Step 1 Score 245 275
Mean Step 2 Score 237 253
Lowest Step 2 Score 219 216
Highest Step 2 Score 278 280

Current Residents

  • 26

Total Number of Residents

  • 5

Number of Residents Per Class

  • 0

Number of Research Residents

  • 1

Number of Underrepresented Minority

  • 5

Number of Women

Mean Step 1 Score

246

Mean Step 2 Score

254

Our Program and Support

Why Choose UConn?

Traits of a Successful Orthopedic Resident at UConn

As Determined by Residents and Faculty

  • Having grit and resilience
  • Honesty
  • Passion for hard work
  • Resourceful
  • Good communicator
  • Persistence
  • Ability to learn from and grow from mistakes
  • Commitment to excellence “easy to be good, hard to be great”
  • Enjoy comradery and being on a team
  • Self aware of your faults and biases so that you can be a better person
  • Goal orientated – set many small and large goals
  • Humble

What We Are Looking for on Your Application

Honors (Especially in Medicine and Surgery)

  • Shows you have strong clinical skills
  • Shows you are able to work in a team
  • We know that all schools have different criteria for getting honors (some easier and some harder) and we see that on your MSPE and take that into account

Research – Why We Care

  • Shows you are good at time-management
  • Shows you are able to work in a team
  • Allows you to get to know someone well who can then write a strong letter of recommendation for you

Diversity

  • We value applicants with different backgrounds who can enhance education, patient care and overall make our program the best it can be
  • Our commitment to diversity

Letters of Recommendation

  • These are most helpful to us if they are from someone that knows you well. It is easy to tell when someone does not know you.
  • We recommend that these are all from orthopedic surgeons rather than another service if possible.

Personal Statement

  • We want you to show us that you are someone special that can ADD to our program by your personal and unique story
  • We care less about why you want to go into orthopedics (trust us, we know it’s awesome!) and more about who YOU are and why you will make an outstanding orthopedic resident at UConn
  • Give us examples of how you exemplify those traits above that we find are critical to being a successful part of our team

USMLE Scores

  • We do not have a hard cut-off, however those that score below 230 will be scrutinized a little harder to make sure there are not concerns about the ability to pass the written Boards
  • How to make up for low Step 1 board scores
    • Strong letters of recommendation
    • Apply to rotate and prove how great you are!
    • Reach out to us to show interest
    • Make it clear that you’ve reflected on why you scored poorly the first time and what

What Matters Less to Us

  • AOA status – as we learn more about the inherent bias of AOA status, this is becoming less important
  • Where you went to undergrad
  • What medical school you go to
  • DO versus MD

How to Show Interest in the UConn Program

UConn Health is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity (AA/EOE) and our Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity training program. We encourage applicants from a wide diversity of backgrounds, ethnicity and we fully support applications from women and under-represented groups.