Owning the Case
A practical roadmap for third-year residents who independently execute the bread-and-butter cases of trauma surgery, run the OR schedule, and begin leading the service on call.
Your job is to own the case, start to finish.
Your job during Ortho Trauma PGY3 is to independently execute the common cases of trauma surgery — IM nailing, hip fixation, ankle and distal radius ORIF — while beginning to run the OR schedule and lead junior residents on overnight call.
Own the Fixation
Independently execute IM nailing, hip fracture fixation, ankle ORIF, and distal radius ORIF from start to finish.
Lead the Service
Run the OR schedule, triage consults as senior resident, and direct junior residents overnight.
Communicate with Families
Take on patient and family counseling and recognize trauma-related complications like fat embolism syndrome early.
What the Ortho Trauma PGY3 Playbook covers.
This guide is designed to help residents understand exactly where they stand and what behaviors move them from owner to multiplier as they begin leading the trauma service.
Trust & Professionalism
- Integrity as case complexity rises
- Reading the room with junior residents
- Patient ownership through discharge
- Communication with families
- Anticipation of complications
Ortho Trauma PGY3 Technical Foundations
- Independent IM nailing of femur & tibia
- Hip fracture fixation (SHS & cephalomedullary nail)
- Ankle & distal radius ORIF
- External fixation & formal fasciotomy
- Pediatric fracture fixation
Evaluation Tools
- Observer to Multiplier framework
- Trust Score
- Technical Score
- Faculty evaluation
- Development plan
Success Benchmarks
- Independently performs IM nailing of femur and tibia fractures start to finish
- Independently performs hip fracture fixation and ankle ORIF
- Runs the trauma OR schedule and case sequencing
- Leads trauma call as senior resident, directing junior residents overnight
- Recognizes and initiates management for fat embolism syndrome
Residents can honestly identify where they stand.
The Ortho Trauma PGY3 Playbook gives clear behaviors for each stage so feedback becomes more specific and actionable as case ownership and call leadership increase.
Observer
Still leans on the attending for sequencing and decision-making on standard fixation cases.
Contributor
Executes common fixation cases reliably but needs prompting to run the schedule or lead call independently.
Owner
Independently completes bread-and-butter cases, runs the OR schedule, and leads junior residents on overnight call.
Multiplier
Improves service efficiency, teaches junior residents intraoperatively, and models composure during complex call nights.
Trust Score and Technical Score are separated.
This matters because technical skill alone does not determine autonomy. A resident can have strong hands and still lose opportunity if trust has not been earned.
Trust Score: 30 Points
- Integrity
- Preparation
- Ownership
- Communication
- Call Leadership
- Anticipation
Technical Score: 20 Points
- Independent Fixation Skills
- OR Efficiency
- Complication Recognition
- Clinical Synthesis
Start with PGY3 or get the full pathway.
The Ortho Trauma PGY3 Playbook works as a standalone guide, but the bundle gives residents the full progression through PGY5.
Want the full resident development system?
Get The Intro plus PGY1 through PGY5 in the Complete Ortho Trauma Bundle.
Common questions before purchase.
Who is the Ortho Trauma PGY3 Playbook for?
Third-year orthopedic residents independently executing common trauma fixation cases and beginning to lead the service on call.
Is this a surgical textbook?
No. This is a development and evaluation playbook focused on ownership, leadership, and demonstrated technical independence.
Does it include technical expectations?
Yes. PGY3 expectations include independent IM nailing, hip fixation, ankle and distal radius ORIF, external fixation, and pediatric fracture care.
Should I buy the bundle instead?
The PGY3 Playbook is best if you only need the third-year guide. The bundle is better if you want the full roadmap from PGY1 through PGY5.
Own the case, start to finish.
PGY3 is where independent execution and call leadership begin. Start with the playbook built for that stage.