Program Overview

The U.S. Army/Baylor University Orthopedic Physician Assistant Residency and doctoral program is an 18-month program of subspecialty rotations, formal didactic instruction, and clinical research. This residency prepares Physician Assistants with the knowledge and expertise to provide evidence-based medicine to a full spectrum of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.

The graduates examine, interpret labs and images, diagnose, and develop goal-oriented treatment plans for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. They also first-assist in surgery and manage patients perioperatively. As part of this management, residents perform orthopedic procedures that include but are not limited to: administration of local and regional anesthetics, therapeutic and diagnostic joint injection, musculoskeletal ultrasound, fracture fluoroscopy, fracture reduction and management, wound closure/suturing, graft preparation, complex wound debridement, perioperative wound care, skeletal traction, hardware removal, and external fixation.

Unlike certification programs, our graduates also participate in clinical research and get exposed to research design and methodology. The capstone requirement for the residency is presentation of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research protocol to a board panel that includes faculty of the residency program and Baylor University. Residents are required to submit a manuscript to a journal and produce a poster for display of their project as part of their requirements.

The development of the Orthopedic Physician Assistant (OPA) profession in Army Medicine began in response to Medical Corps (MC) personnel shortages in both U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) in the late 1980s. The Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) approved the program in 1989 and extended it to an 18-month doctoral program in 2007. In FORSCOM, OPAs were specifically utilized to extend Orthopedic Surgeon's capabilities in Combat Support Hospitals (CSHs) and Forward Surgical Teams (FSTs) to increase access to orthopedic care on the battlefield. In MEDCOM, they also improved access to orthopedic care in Army Medical Centers (MEDCENs) and other Medical Department Activities (MEDDACs) to include Army Community Hospitals.

This residency is associated with the Army Medical Specialist Corps Long Term Health Education and Training (LTHET) and specialty training board. This message describes application requirements and procedure for LTHET.

Overview

The U.S. Army/Baylor University Orthopedic Physician Assistant Residency and Doctoral Program was created as a benchmark for postgraduate education of Physician Assistants working in orthopedics. The program combines subspecialty rotations, didactic instruction, and clinical research to produce a Physician Assistant that is capable of providing an advanced level of care at all levels of medicine and covering multiple subspecialties within Orthopedic Surgery.

The program is embedded as part of Accreditation Counsel for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved orthopaedic residencies where the student receives training alongside second and their year orthopaedic surgical residents.

The graduates of this program encompass the expertise to autonomously manage non-operative orthopaedic conditions and assist in surgical care and perioperative management of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.

Mission

The mission of the U.S. Army/Baylor University Orthopedic Physician Assistant Residency and doctoral program is to provide a formal academic environment that facilitates a consistent and competent Physician Assistant capable of providing subspecialty care to address the growing requirements of the Military Health System (MHS). This formal education supports the practice of evidence-based medicine and clinical research that directly benefits the MHS and the allied health professions.

Vision

The vision of the U.S. Army/Baylor University Orthopedic Physician Assistant Residency and doctoral program is to set the benchmark for post-professional physician assistant education through the pursuit of academic and clinical excellence in orthopaedics and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Our graduates, as leaders in allied health, strive to consistently advance musculoskeletal care through professional development, education and scientific inquiry.

Point of Contact:

Brooke Army Military Medical Center
ATTN: MCHE-ZSO/DScPAS-O Program Office
3551 Roger Brooke Drive
Fort Sam Houston, TX. 78234-6200