Orthopedic Surgery | Kennestone Regional Medical Center – Wellstar Graduate Medical Education Residency

Orthopedic Surgery

Our Residency Program in Orthopedic Surgery is among the oldest and most respected in the country. Our program was inspired more than 50 years ago by Dr. Michael Hoke’s seminal work in teaching orthopedic surgery and providing medical care to children with musculoskeletal deformities.

Wellstar Health System strives to offer an exceptional, personalized environment that prepares the next generation of physicians to deliver the highest quality of healthcare to our community. Wellstar is keenly focused on and committed to ensuring continuity of training for all Wellstar residents, engaging in regular and ongoing bi-directional communication with learners about programmatic improvements and changes, and providing clinical learning environments that support the wellbeing, personal and professional development of all residents, faculty, and staff. To enhance the quality and sustainability of clinical services and the clinical learning environment, Wellstar is working with the ACGME to review opportunities to relocate surgery services and training to the system’s flagship teaching hospital which will provide residents with enhanced educational experiences and contemporary facilities with state-of-the-art surgical suites and equipment.

Legacy of excellence, commitment to innovation

Today, under the direction of 8 highly respected division chiefs and 40 faculty members, all 8 subspecialty areas of orthopedics are taught. The focus is on excellence in teaching, research and patient care, as we innovate to meet the demands of a dynamic and exciting medical specialty.

Research Opportunities

The research arm of our program includes opportunities in stem cell and biotechnology advancement, cohort reviews, bio-mechanics study and innovative research in a number of areas. Our affiliations with Georgia State University and other institutions allow residents to complete university-centered research projects. With diverse orthopedic practices within the residency, large patient populations are available for data acquisition and comparative evaluation. The presence of our on-campus, fully functioning anatomy lab makes anatomical research a mainstay of our program.

Surgical Skills Learning Laboratory

Residents gain high-value skill and experience from working in our cadaveric surgical skills learning laboratory. Full-time access to the lab permits residents to improve their arthroscopic surgical skills and practice surgical approaches. The facility also serves as an incubator for testing new ideas with the support of corporate sponsors. Residents get the rare opportunity to see products and processes in development while conducting research on both anatomical and bio-cellular fields of study.

Curriculum

PGY-1

PGY-2

PGY-3

PGY-4

PGY-5

The Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program curriculum is designed to prepare competent and ethical practitioners, and to comply with requirements to practice independently and to take and pass the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS) specialty board certification examinations. The educational plan is designed to meet and exceed requirements of the ACGME, Orthopedic Residency Review Committee and ABOS.

The curriculum is centered on the Orthobullets “365 Day Study Plan.” Monday through Friday reading topics are assigned to each resident, as well as links to journal articles used as a resource for further study. This enables all major areas and testable topics for boards and training exams to be covered each year. As well, optional weekend reading journals and book chapters are offered as a supplement to the core weekly material.

The program features a wide variety of rotations covering all required disciplines within Orthopedics. The rotations are led by prominent, fellowship-trained faculty, and most feature one-on-one learning. The breadth of exposure requires residents to be dispersed across the Atlanta Metro Area. Didactics are attended and delivered by a cadre of highly regarded experts in all 8 subspecialties of orthopedics. Opportunities include Chief Lectures, Trauma Rounds, Case Reports, Journal Club, M&M, Chairman’s Patient Safety Committee, Tumor Conference and Resident Lectures.

Leadership & House Staff

Steven M. Kane, MD

Program Director

Stephen Becher, MD

Associate Program Director

Ali Nourbakhsh, MD

Core Faculty

Daniel Schlatterer, DO

Core Faculty

Saurabh Khakharia, MD

Core Faculty

Cheryl Cundy

Residency Coordinator

D. David Davis, III, MD

PGY-5

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Zachary Hanson, MD

PGY-5

University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine

J. Weston Robison, MD

PGY-5

Mercer University School of Medicine

Jared Shoops, MD

PGY-5

Mercer University School of Medicine

Jennifer Blanda, MD

PGY-4

University of Toledo College of Medicine

James Spratt, MD

PGY-4

Georgetown University School of Medicine

W. Parker Stults, MD

PGY-4

Mercer University School of Medicine

Derrick Wendler, MD

PGY-4

Medical College of Wisconsin

Cameron Dodd, MD

PGY-3

McGovern Medical School

Katelyn Harrison, MD

PGY-3

Florida State University College of Medicine

Uzoma Nwakibu, MD

PGY-3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Danny Warda, DO

PGY-3

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

Caleb LaVigne, MD

PGY-2

Mercer University School of Medicine

Jordan Murphy, MD

PGY-2

Georgetown University School of Medicine

Ucheze Ononuju, MD

PGY-2

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Devin Potter, MD

PGY-2

University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Matthew Kavolus, MD

PGY-1

University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville

Rahil Patel, MD

PGY-1

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Alec Rush, MD

PGY-1

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Ryan Sanders, MD

PGY-1

Mercer University School of Medicine

How to Apply

Our interviews (by invitation only) are conducted during the months of December and January of each year. We welcome your interest in Wellstar’s Residency Program in Orthopedic Surgery!

Questions? Contact Program Coordinator Cheryl Cundy.