Orthopaedic Surgery Applicant Criteria

Applicants for the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency will be considered only if they meet eligibility requirements for residency established by the ACGME and our institution, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga.  In addition, applicants will be interviewed only if they meet the following:

Criteria
Step I USMLE - score of at least 230 on first attempt
Step II USMLE - score of at least 230 on first attempt*
(*may adversely affect applicant if Step II scores are not available)

Preference for members of current year's graduating class.  Applicants should be ranked within the top 25% their graduating class.

Note:  Medical students from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine may take the four week orthopaedic surgery elective at the UTCOM Chattanooga, but must meet expected criteria in order to be invited for an interview.  Students from other medical schools must apply and meet the above criteria to be accepted for the elective rotation.  If their qualifying data is verified on the ERAS application, they will be invited for interview.  Contact Orthopaedic Residency Coordinator, Donna Gibson (donna.gibson@erlanger.org) to request elective application forms.

Institutional Policy on Resident Recruitment, Eligibility, and Selection The Graduate Medical Education Programs of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga acknowledge and follow the eligibility and selection criteria for resident applicants stated in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Institutional Requirements, as well as the rules of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

Applicant Eligibility

Medical Education: Only the following individuals will be considered as applicants in residency programs in the University of Tennessee Graduate Medical Education Programs

• Graduates of Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-approved U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools.
• International Medical Graduates* who have valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificates
• Graduates of American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accredited Osteopathic Medical Schools.

Visa Status: Visa status for International Medical Graduates must fall within the following categories:

• Eligible to seek J-1 visa
• Permanent Resident or Alien status (i.e., "Green card")  
• In accordance with University of Tennessee Graduate Medical Education guidelines, this program does not sponsor residents for "H" type visas.

 Application Process and Interviews

• All applications for first year positions will be processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
• Opportunities for interviews will be extended to applicants based on their qualifications as determined by USMLE scores, medical school performance, and letters of recommendation.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery selects residents with due consideration of their preparedness to enter into the program.  Personal characteristics and aptitude, as well as academic credentials, will be considered in selection.  The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) & Rank Order Process

This program participates in the NRMP MATCH and will only consider applicants participating in the MATCH.

• All interviewed applicants will be considered for ranking in the MATCH in order of preference based on the following criteria: USMLE scores, medical school performance, letters of recommendation, residents' and faculty perceptions during interviews, determination of communications skills, motivation and integrity via interviews.
• Characteristics such as gender, age, religion, color, national origin, disability or veteran status will not be used in the selection procedure. (The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/section 504/ADA/ADEA employer.)
• Recommendations of all interviewing faculty and residents will be considered in determining the rank order of the interviewed applicants.

Appointments

Applications must be received through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges and are screened according to the preferences detailed below.  Screened applications are then reviewed by the Selection Committee and the Program Director/Chairman to determine which candidates will be invited for personal interviews.  Once the interviews have been completed, each applicant is assigned a priority score based on his/her academic performance in medical school, Dean's and other letters of recommendations, class standing, USMLE scores and the assessments of faculty and residents from our program who met with the applicant during the interview process.

• Appointments will be issued to all matched applicants who meet eligibility requirements.
• Following release of the MATCH results, attempts will be made to fill any vacant positions in accordance with the terms of the UTCOM Chattanooga Institutional Agreement with the NRMP.
• Initial Letters of Agreement for all positions will be issued through the Graduate Medical Education Office following a review of eligibility.

Note:  The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners requires that applicants for license in Tennessee must be graduates either from LCME or AOA accredited schools or from international schools whose admission criteria are comparable to LCME medical schools.  The UT College of Medicine Chattanooga and its programs have determined that they will only consider applicants for student rotations or residency/fellowship applications who are from schools who meet these same criteria so they would be eligible for medical license in Tennessee after completing residency.