Orthopaedic Surgery
The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency program provides trainees with the optimal environment for learning the art and science of orthopaedic surgery. Our clinical faculty are made up of members from two orthopaedic groups, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and OrthoCarolina. Residents have high-volume exposure in all subspecialty areas of orthopaedics, with multiple subspecialty fellowship-trained faculty members in each area. As you explore our program, you'll notice that both residents and clinical faculty come together as one team to grow and develop as orthopaedic surgeons.
Our curriculum is built around the 6 core competencies, with special emphasis on professionalism and communication skills. The program consists of:
- 4 full orthopaedic clinical years
- 1 multidisciplinary internship year
- One-on-one training with board-certified, fellowship-trained specialists
- Large clinical volume
- Graduated responsibility in the operating room
Attend Our Virtual Open House
The next Virtual Open House Date will be August 2025.
An Inside Look at the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program
Committed to Mentorship: Our Faculty’s Perspective
Academics and World-Class Doctors: A Resident’s View
Where You Will Train
Orthopaedic Surgery residents will rotate through Carolinas Medical Center and additional hospital locations and offices that are either attached to the main hospital or less than 1 mile away. Residents will have training opportunities at the following locations:
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Carolinas Medical Center
CMC is an 874-bed hospital located in the Dilworth neighborhood and is the flagship hospital for Atrium Health.
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Atrium Health Mercy
Atrium Health Mercy, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center, is a 185-bed adult tertiary acute care hospital located in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte. It is approximately 1 mile away from the main campus. An additional general surgery service provides care at this hospital and is well incorporated into the resident’s rotation scheduled starting in their second year.
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OrthoCarolina
OrthoCarolina is one of the largest, most comprehensive orthopaedic practices in the nation. The highly trained physician staff of OrthoCarolina is comprised of orthopaedic surgeons, physiatrists and physician assistants. While the orthopaedic surgeons at OrthoCarolina are trained and experienced in all areas of orthopaedics, many have fellowship training in specialty areas, such as foot and ankle; hand; hip and knee; pediatric orthopaedics; shoulder and elbow; spine; and sports medicine.
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Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital
Levine Children's Hospital, located on the campus of CMC, is the largest children's hospital between Washington, DC, and Atlanta. The 240,000-foot hospital opened in 2007 and is home to the region's only dedicated children's emergency department operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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“A unique aspect of our program is the relationships with our faculty. The mentorship model really lends itself to building those relationships. Faculty take time from their busy practices to get involved in our education, to run cadaver labs and surgical simulations and to give lectures and run journal clubs.”
Matthew Braswell, MD
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“I chose to complete my training at CMC for many reasons, but first and foremost was the strong resident culture that was evident from my interview day. I was immediately greeted by a diverse group of residents which made me feel welcome and appreciated from the start.”
Landon Bulloch, MD
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“To me, the most unique thing about CMC is also its strength – the culture. With the mentorship model we have the unique opportunity to learn from attendings one-on-one for a month at a time. This allows us to learn their techniques and gain their trust sooner than any other model.”
Richard (Randy) McKnight, MD
Meet the Program Director
“Our primary strategic mission at Carolinas Medical Center and The Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute is to educate and provide career development for the future leaders in orthopaedic surgery. To do this, we will continue to recruit and retain the best and brightest medical students in the country. We are committed to providing the best care for our communities, and feel this is best achieved by recruiting a diverse group of individuals which reflects the community in which we live.“
Dr. Scannell
Program Director
Meet the Faculty
With a nationally and internationally-renowned team of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty, our residents have access to a breadth of experience and knowledge in the program. See the full list of clinical faculty here and our research faculty here.
Program Curriculum
The Orthopaedic Surgery program is comprehensive and widely respected, with the primary goal of graduating well-rounded, highly competent orthopaedic surgeons. Five residents are admitted annually through a highly selective process administered by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). The program's educational philosophy stresses the best environment for learning clinical medicine is achieved with 1 patient, 1 attending and 1 resident. Graduated responsibility in the operating room and pre- and post-operative planning phases is granted so at the end of the program each resident is comfortable and competent in all subspecialty areas.
Application Criteria
Prospective residents of the Orthopaedic Surgery program must submit the following required documents:
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Dean’s Letter
- Personal Statement
- United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Scores
- Transcripts
If you would like to apply for our residency program, we only accept standard electronic applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Please submit your ERAS application to us. Please contact your school for specific information on the ERAS program. Learn more