ABSTRACT
The study reported here represented a preliminary evaluation of the accreditation criteria for orthopedic operative procedures. Because selection of the criteria has not been guided by empirical data, the extent to which they accurately reflect resident clinical experience is of concern. To examine this question, residents in an orthopedic residency program were tracked for one year, and their activities were compared with the procedure requirements established by the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Orthopaedic Surgery. The results indicated that the RRC categories unduly emphasized activities for which there was little patient demand and failed to distinguish or require some frequently performed procedures. In their present form, therefore, the designated categories were not found to cover adequately the content of current clinical practice and thus may not appropriately reflect educational needs.
