Menga and Wilbur Join Residency Team

Emmanuel Menga, M.D., and Danielle Wilbur, M.D., assistant professors in the Department of Orthopaedics, have been appointed Associate Program Directors for the department’s residency training program.

They work in partnership with Professor of Orthopaedics and Residency Program Director P. Christopher Cook, M.D., in administering and continually improving one of the nation’s largest orthopaedic surgery training programs.

In their new roles, Drs. Menga and Wilbur are tasked with reviewing and updating the residency training curriculum and improving the resident training experience. They are also tasked with working with other faculty members in revamping the Kenneth DeHaven Surgical Skills Lab experience and the annual intern skills lab experience for new trainees.

This month-long surgical-skills "boot camp" is a hallmark of the University of Rochester Orthopaedic surgery residency program, which provides first-year residents with immersive, hands-on training in traditional and minimally invasive surgical techniques early in their first year of joining the program. Approximately 20 attending surgeons from every department subspecialty take part.

“The University of Rochester’s Orthopaedic surgery residency program has a rich tradition of training outstanding orthopaedic surgeons and leaders of Orthopaedics for the future,” Menga said. “We hope to build on the program’s strong foundation and adapt to the rapidly changing orthopaedic surgery field by incorporating new medical technology, expanding virtual learning, and introducing new surgical and clinical skills training modules to provide the best training to residents in a collegial and nurturing environment,”.

“As an associate program director, I’ll be an extension of the program director with an emphasis on education, mentoring, and advocating for the residents, and to serve as a ‘sounding board’ where residents can have a safe/judgement-free environment where they can seek advice,” Wilbur said.

“We are looking to create an inclusive learning environment that benefits all types of learners, and form a streamlined curriculum that encompasses book knowledge, clinical skills, and growth as both a clinician and surgeon. Residency can be a tough experience, and our jobs as APD/PD is to make sure the residents not just survive the experience, but thrive in both their personal and professional lives. “

“The University of Rochester has one of the largest and most productive residency training programs in the nation,” Cook said. “The program has trained several current department chairs in Orthopaedics at institutions across the U.S. and we continue to refine the program to meet the needs of current and future residents. The expansion of the program’s leadership team with Drs. Menga and Wilbur, who are exceptional surgeons as well as dedicated instructors and leaders, demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that we maintain the best possible training experience for our residents.”