Conferences
Sample schedule
Monday AM Conference
Time: 7–8 a.m.
Location: Resident Library
Thursday AM Resident Meeting
Time: 7–8 a.m.
Location: Resident Library
Thursday Basic Science Conference
Time: 5–6 p.m.
Location: West 9 Conference Room
Thursday Grand Rounds
Second Thursday of every month
Time: 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Location: Learning Center, Main Hospital 1st Floor
Friday Teaching Conference
Time: 7–10 a.m.
Location: George Ben Johnston Auditorium
Expectations
Miscellaneous meetings
D&C conference and clinics
Expectations
Attendance is taken the first 15 minutes of the conference. If you are more than 15 minutes late to conference, you are not counted as in attendance. Attendance is monitored and reported to the program director and the department chair. Repeated absences for conferences may lead to disciplinary action.
Disciplinary actions may include: loss of weekend before and after vacation, loss of meal privileges, letter of concern, probation and even termination from the residency program. The program takes the education of residents seriously. The program director can institute loss of weekend vacation days, loss of meal privileges and letter of concern. Appeals can be made to the education committee.
Residents presenting cases at departmental conferences should research the most recent data available and literature to promote discussion. Presentations should have pertinent laboratory data, X-ray films and pathology results, which have educational benefits.
The following conferences are mandatory for all residents at all sites:
- Orthopaedic Grand Rounds will be held the first Friday of every month from September through May from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Sanger Hall, Room 2020.
- Complications Conference will be held on the first Friday of every month at George Ben Johnston Auditorium from 7 to 8 a.m., unless otherwise noted.
- Orthopaedic Resident Main Teaching Conference will be held on Friday from 7 to 10 a.m. at George Ben Johnston Auditorium.
The following conference must be attended by all residents who are at the VA Medical Center:
- The Chairman’s Pre-op Education Conference from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The following events must be attended by all residents at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Rotation:
- The Pediatric Radiology Conference (TBA).
- The Pediatric Journal club (TBA).
The following conference must be attended by all residents at the VCU Medical Center Rotations:
- Monday Morning X-Ray Conference in the Orthopaedic Library from 6:45 to 7:30 a.m.
- Resident Teaching Conference in the Orthopaedic Library from 7 to 8 a.m. every Thursday.
The Resident Conference should be organized to discuss both trauma and reconstructive issues. It is expected that these will be clearly identified at the beginning of the three-month module. Residents must be able to prepare for this commitment. The conference will be conducted in a Socratic fashion to demonstrate that both the presenter and all residents in the conference have read and are knowledgeable on the topic selected. The topics must clearly be defined at the beginning of the three-month rotation.
- Gold Service Arthroplasty Conference (TBA). (Gold Service Only)
The following conferences are required by the PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents:
Thursday Conference held from 5 to 6 p.m. during the months of September through June.
The resident basic science conference is scheduled for a nine month period.
It is the resident’s PGY-1 and PGY-2 responsibility to prepare for the presentation. Typically an exam will occur during the next week and final exam will be at the end of the entire rotation. It is expected that the residents will demonstrate a commitment to learning the material before the conference and be able to retain the material for the weekly exam and the next week. Handouts will be given.
Miscellaneous meetings
There will be specialty journal clubs that will occur periodically during the month and typically will be held in an outside restaurant. The date and location will be announced by the resident who is responsible for that subspecialty.
The following PGY-1 and PGY-2 must spend a half-day in the Introduction of Orthopaedic Conference, typically held the first of July. The following issues will be discussed:
- Organization of the program
- Review of important principles of obtaining radiographs
- Review of the need for both PGY-1 and PGY-2 to be totally supervised
- Review of the supervision document
- Review of how to apply traction
- Physical exam
D&C conference and clinics
At t he beginning of the resident conference, the first Friday of each month, we will review all cases with complications. The most senior resident on service will present the patient’s name and complications. The presentation must include service, name, medical record number, attending physician and the complication that occurred. The resident should present formally during the complication conference, which occurs once a month. Each conference will be assigned to the resident who was involved in the complication
Residents are expected to be present in their assigned clinics based on their rotations and on time. This punctuality is critical to maintain continuity of care and demonstrates commitment to the service. In addition, it is required for the educational process.