Questions to Ask

By what point in residency do residents typically hit their CPME case minimums — first year, second, third?

By graduation, how far beyond the minimums do most residents end up — 2×, 3×, more? What's a typical total case count?

Is the surgical volume stable year to year, or has a key attending leaving or a hospital contract changing recently shaken it up?

At what point do residents start doing major reconstructive and trauma cases skin-to-skin? Are cases usually single- or double-scrubbed?

How is resident time split between the OR and clinic — closer to 80/20, 60/40?

What are the most common elective procedures residents perform? The most common non-elective?

How much rearfoot and ankle reconstruction do residents get, versus a forefoot-heavy caseload?

How much exposure is there to total ankle replacement (TAR), and how many do residents do skin-to-skin?

How much Charcot reconstruction, external fixation, and limb-salvage work (including flap coverage) do residents see?

Is the flagship hospital a Level I trauma center? Does the ED consult podiatry for ankle fractures and lower-extremity trauma, or does a separate trauma team handle them?

Do podiatry residents perform closed reductions of ankle fractures in the ED?

Roughly how many pilon, calcaneal, and Lisfranc cases does the average resident graduate with skin-to-skin?

What's the exposure to minimally invasive (MIS) forefoot and rearfoot techniques?

Bottom line — are the residents doing the cases, or are attendings doing them with residents assisting?

How many attendings are affiliated with the program, and who are the core attendings? What's the academic-vs-private-practice mix?

What is the call schedule like — weekday/weekend structure, holidays, and how does it change by PGY year?

How many hospitals and surgery centers do residents cover, and how many do they take call at?

How much operative autonomy do senior residents have, particularly in third year?

How structured are the didactics — lectures, journal club, cadaver/sawbones labs, surgical-skills sessions?

Is there a research requirement, and is there real support for presenting and publishing?

How have recent residents done on their ABFAS and ABPM board exams, and is there protected board-prep time?

How much of the week is inpatient work — wound care, consults, rounding — versus the OR?

What's the relationship between residents and attendings — are they actively teaching, or just supervising?

Is mentorship real and built-in, or something you have to find on your own?

How does podiatry work with orthopedics, vascular, ID, and plastics — is there a true multidisciplinary limb-salvage team?

Is there a fellowship at the institution (limb salvage, RRA, etc.)? Does it compete with residents for cases, or strengthen the training environment?

How does the externship actually run day to day — scrubbing, clinic, presenting — and will you get into major cases or mostly observe?

How does the program use the externship to evaluate candidates — what makes an extern stand out?

Roughly how many of your residents externed here first? Is externing essentially expected to match?

Is there a journal-club article or case presentation externs are expected to give?

Where have recent graduates gone — fellowship (forefoot, RRA, sports medicine, wound care / limb preservation) or straight into practice?

Do graduates feel prepared for independent rearfoot and ankle surgery, or do most need a fellowship to feel confident?

Where did recent grads get hospital privileges for rearfoot and ankle surgery — did they get credentialed for the full scope they trained in?

Does the program actively support fellowship applications — letters, time, connections?

For those who went straight to practice, did they land the jobs and locations they wanted — hospital-employed, private practice, or a mix?

What's the relationship like among the residents — collegial or competitive?

How supportive is the program when a resident struggles, clinically or personally?

Has any resident left, transferred, or been let go — and why?

Knowing what you know now, would you choose this program again?

What does the program genuinely not do well — the part nobody mentions on interview day?

Has the program had any CPME accreditation concerns, probation, or major recent changes?

Honestly, how many hours a week are residents working?

How is vacation handled — how much, and do residents actually get to use it?

Is burnout acknowledged, and is there real, confidential mental-health support residents actually use?

What's the pay and benefits package, and are there moonlighting opportunities?

What's the living situation — housing cost, the city, and is it workable for a partner or family?