Resident Life

Life in Detroit

Detroit is a vibrant, diverse city that we are proud to call home. Downtown Detroit offers a thriving restaurant scene, quaint coffee shops, upscale bars, and everything in between. Every major league sport is represented with all stadiums located within a few blocks of each other. Eastern Market is one of the largest farmers markets in the country. Belle Isle, the Dequindre Cut, and the Detroit Riverfront provide miles of running and biking trails, beaches, waterways for kayaking and boating, and endless parks to enjoy the changing seasons. The Detroit Institute of Art houses a collection that’s among the top six in the country and Broadway in Detroit offers the chance to see an array of musical productions. The city’s many event venues regularly bring in famous musicians, comedians, and speakers. If you’re looking to get out of the city, Detroit’s many surrounding suburbs all have their own downtown areas with shops, restaurants, farmers markets, festivals, and parks.

Extracurricular activities

We feel that the camaraderie and culture of our program is one of its greatest strengths. Our residents (plus their significant others, kids, and pets) spend a lot of time together! The year begins with the Intern Welcome Party, introducing our newest residents to the Henry Ford Family, and ends with our annual Golf Outing and Graduation Day as we say goodbye to the graduating class. Throughout the year we have an organized social event every month in addition to frequent informal activities. We play intramural softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer and participate in running events like the Detroit half-marathon (and our own Sarcoma Strong 5k and Trauma Survivors Program 5k). As much as we love playing sports, we also love watching them. Many people in our department have season tickets for local professional and collegiate teams that are often available to residents, and there’s always a tailgate to join!

Houses

At the beginning of intern year, each new resident is sorted into one of our three houses. Every house consists of two residents from each class as well as faculty from different subspecialties. Houses participate in a variety of activities together including social activities, community service events, and OITE study sessions.

Community Outreach

Giving back to our community is very important to us. Every year, we host the Southeast Michigan Perry Initiative to expose female high school and medical school students to orthopaedics and careers in STEM. Throughout the year, we partner with local high schools and medical schools to host numerous events including a casting/splinting workshop and a Women in Orthopaedic Surgery panel, among others. Our houses have organized volunteer events at a local food pantry and we have sponsored a family through the Adopt a Family Program. Residents also have the opportunity to travel with several of our faculty members to participate in global outreach trips to Kenya, Honduras, and Colombia.