Podiatric Residency Program Schedule

The podiatric surgery rotation includes weekly surgical assignments, clinical requirements, research projects and in-patient and emergency room consultations for non-palliative, urgent and emergent cases.

You will enjoy complete parity on medicine and surgery rotations, functioning as needed throughout the entire hospital system. Each rotation is carefully designed to ensure an optimal experience. Division or department chiefs and chairs review every competency and evaluation form. Many of these clinicians teach at Harvard Medical School and incorporate their didactic training into the podiatric surgery rotation schedule.

In addition to your robust surgical rotations, you will also fulfill the following specialized requirements during your three-year residency.

• Anesthesia (2 weeks)
• Dermatology (2 weeks)
• Emergency medicine (4 weeks)
• General and vascular surgery (6 weeks)
• Infectious disease (3 weeks)
• Internal medicine (4 weeks)
• Orthopedic surgery (4 weeks, ongoing exposure)
• Pathology (2 weeks)
• Plastic surgery (ongoing exposure)
• Psychiatry (2 weeks)
• Radiology, including interventional radiology (2 weeks)
• Rheumatology (3 weeks)

You’ll be assigned pre-and post-operative cases every week. These cases are a critical part of your training experience. You’ll also serve in a hospital-based, residency-run clinic two to three times per week. Locations include the following:

• Crimson Foot & Ankle, where you will work with patients of all ages alongside attending physicians in managing pre- and post-operative and sports medicine-related cases.
• The Mount Auburn Hospital Clinic allows you to see a variety of cases.
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a non-profit, multi-specialty group with 510,000+ patients annually.
• Pro Sports Orthopedics, where you will manage patients alongside orthopedic surgeons.
• Center for Vascular, Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, an opportunity to learn how to manage complex wounds.

To ensure your success in the clinic setting, you’ll receive instruction in various topics, including billing, private practice management, ICD-10, durable medical equipment and in-office surgeries and dispensing procedures.

You will complete at least one podiatric surgery-related research project for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Harvard School of Public Health graduates will provide direct supervision and guidance. Successful publication is not required but is strongly encouraged, as it contributes immensely to maintaining the highest quality standards established by the residency program.

You will begin working on your project during your first year. The program director will provide ongoing evaluation, direction and support. Previous research knowledge is helpful but not necessary.

Hands-on training opportunities help you become a well-rounded clinician. They include the following.

• Weekly case reviews during pre-operative conferences.
• Weekly journal clubs, offering spirited conversations while teaching research methodology in an enjoyable, highly applicable way.
• Weekly didactic and review assignments in every clinical rotation that prepare you for board certification.
• The surgical skills lab, providing 24/7 access to arthroscopy simulators, internal and external fixation stations, suturing and hand-tie stations and more.
• Cadaveric and saw-bone workshops and lectures to further your practical education.
• Monthly morbidity and mortality conferences that help you learn how to handle complicated cases.
• Local, regional and national speakers providing monthly lecture series on cutting-edge topics.

Residents attend one outside conference per year. Previous conferences focused on topics such as internal fixation for reconstructive surgery, trauma of the foot and ankle and foot and ankle arthroscopy.

You’ll have access to all Harvard University libraries, which contain thousands of medical journals, textbooks, rare and original books, The Cochrane Review, and numerous databases.

We offer extensive resources to help you prepare for your board certification and qualification exams. You’ll have online access to educational materials including surgical textbooks, presentations, surgical videos and much more. Preparation tools from the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, which tracks resident knowledge and identifies areas for improvement, are also included.