The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program has five positions per year that are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

As a resident, you’ll treat patients at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, a Level I pediatric and adult trauma center that serves people from western North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Medicine Orthopaedic Surgery Residency is to provide preeminent training in musculoskeletal care and to cultivate surgeon leaders through a commitment to education, compassionate care, teamwork, and academic integrity.

Program Aims

  1. To train the next generation of orthopedic surgeons, in both the clinical and surgical arena, to deliver optimal patient care.
  2. To train the next generation of clinician-scientists to advance the field and scope of orthopedics to better care for musculoskeletal disease.
  3. To educate and mentor trainees to be stewards of healthcare and healthcare systems with a focus centered on patient care.
  4. To foster a sense of service to the community when practicing their skill.
  5. To promote leadership, both within orthopedics and the medical community at large, to advocate for patients, physicians, and communities.

Our faculty takes great pride in serving as teachers, mentors and advisors to our residents, ensuring they become competent, independent orthopaedic surgeons.

Message from the Program Director

Jason J. Halvorson, MD.
Karen Darvill.
Thank you for your interest in Wake Forest University School of Medicine Orthopaedics! As can be seen within our program aims, the philosophy and mission of our department is simple: to educate and train the next generation of leaders within our field in the operating room, the clinic, research and the community (both medical and otherwise). Read the full welcome message

Why Train at Wake Forest University School of Medicine?

At the School of Medicine, resident education is at the heart of our academic patient care mission. We’re proud of our residency program and of the surgeons we train. Our diverse educational program has fellowship-trained faculty in each of the orthopaedic subspecialty areas, and our educational experience ranges from management of routine fractures to complex tertiary orthopaedic surgery referrals.

You’ll receive instruction in all aspects of adult and pediatric orthopaedic surgery in both the inpatient and ambulatory setting. The sports medicine program coordinates the care of athletes at multiple levels, including the Winston-Salem Dash minor league baseball team as well as Division I teams at Wake Forest University and other local colleges and high schools.

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Overview

Get an inside look into how our program operates and see highlights of various aspects of resident life that draw applicants to our program.

Where Are They Now?

  • Carolina Orbay, MD (2020): Hand, Miami Bone and Joint
  • Kamran Hamid, MD (2015): Foot and Ankle, Chief Medical Officer, Loyola Medicine
  • Holly Pilson, MD (2013): Trauma, Vice Chair, Social Impact, Wake Forest School of Medicine
  • Adam Anz, MD (2011): Sports Medicine, Andrews Institute
  • Gertrude YingYu Li, MD (2010): Pediatrics, Michigan Children’s
  • Dickson Schaefer MD (2001): Joint Replacement, Fayetteville Orthopaedics