Residency Program

Instructions and Information for Applicants to Our Program

DEADLINE for submitting APPLICATION and DOCUMENTS: November 1

Click here for a Residency Program Agreement Sample.

Click here for a Resident Eligibility and Selection Sample.

Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS): We will use ERAS again this year for the match process. An Applicant Information Sheet is available to explain how it works by accessing the Internet at www.aamc.org/eras. We require the following documents which can be transmitted to us by ERAS after you supply them to your Dean’s Office: Common Application Form (CAF), Personal Statement, Medical School Transcript, Dean’s Letter, 3 or more Letters of Recommendation, Wallet-sized Photograph, USMLE Transcript, and ECFMG Status Report (foreign medical graduates only).

Personal Statement: It is desirable for the statement transmitted to our program to include information on: 1) Any involvement you have had with the State of Oklahoma or the surrounding region, the purpose being for you to consider and then translate to us why you believe you would be satisfied living and training in Oklahoma for five years; 2) Your class standing if your school ranks students; and 3) An accounting for any breaks any greater than three months in your education since high school. In lieu of modifying your personal statement, a letter mailed direct to us with this information is a good way to personalize your application.

Medical School Transcript: If you have already graduated from medical school, your transcript should include the entire fourth year.

Recommendation Letters: A letter from the chief of orthopedics at your school will carry the most weight and is recommended if you know this person. Following that, letters from other orthopedic faculty (particularly those active in the national orthopedic surgery organizations), other medical school faculty, practicing orthopedic surgeons, and other physicians would rank in importance in that order.

USMLE Transcript: We require a complete and official transcript from NBME, which you must request.

Certification Process: Since you will not mail your application to us, if you are selected for an interview you will be asked to sign the following statement when you arrive: "I certify that the information submitted by me through ERAS and otherwise is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false or missing information may disqualify me for this position or be grounds for dismissal if matched with the program. I understand that all appointments to this program are for one year only and must be renewed on an annual basis."

Additional Information:

We receive approximately 250 completed applications through ERAS. Our Screening Committee reviews these and approximately 45 applicants are invited to interview on 2 or 3 selected days in January. Most applicants invited to interview are in the Upper ¼-1/3 of their class. Many are members of AOA and have high board scores. Any file that is not complete by the deadline will not be reviewed in the screening process. We usually do not contact applicants about documents lacking in their files.

As is apparent (with rounds, conferences, clinics, surgery, and reading), long days are the norm in this program as in most orthopedic surgery programs. Unquestionably, it is a strenuous five years, but most residents experience a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie and feel well trained upon completion. Those individuals with strong drive, determination, stamina, the ability to remain focused, openness to accepting instruction, and a solid personal support system generally do well.

Calls and questions may be directed to Janet Moore, Residency Program Administrator, at 405-271-5964 or 271-4426 or by e-mail to janet-moore@ouhsc.edu. Our program e-mail address is ortho-eras@ouhsc.edu.