Residency in Orthopaedics and Traumatology

The Orthopaedics/Traumatology residency program is a five-year program aiming to prepare a fully educated, independent, enterprising, ethically responsible, creative, interested in scientific innovations and nurturing democratic values specialist who can fully solve problems and work in a team.

The general aim of the program is to train a specialist orthopedic traumatologist who is able to provide qualified service within the competence and is able to apply the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities providing outpatient and inpatient orthopedic/trauma care in case of acute trauma, in case of orthopedic disease and pathology, in case of oncological diseases of musculoskeletal system, to address the issues of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, hospitalization and rehabilitation of orthopedic diseases and traumatic injuries.

This Program will educate Orthopaedics/Traumatology residents, according to the six ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) core competencies.

The Orthopaedics and traumatology residency program aims:

• To train a specialist orthopedic traumatologist capable independently perform the role at the advanced level according to the six ACGME core competencies and who is able to apply the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities in prevention of musculoskeletal diseases, disorders, and injuries and their treatment by medical, surgical, and physical methods.
• To train confident specialists in traumatology and orthopedics who are well versed in clinical practice and research and are able to raise the standards of orthopedic service in the Republic of Kazakhstan and abroad.
• To provide graduates of the program with basic competencies in the field of traumatology and orthopedics to continue their postgraduate medical training in the specialties of traumatology and orthopedics (adult orthopedics, pediatric orthopedics, traumatology, polytrauma, arthroscopy, endoprosthetics, orthopedic oncology, orthopedic rehabilitation).

Graduates of the NU SOM Orthopedics and Traumatology Residency program will acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the specialty of orthopedics and traumatology at the international level. They will be able to work as orthopedic traumatologists in clinics and trauma centers at all levels, providing highly specialized and outpatient care.

By the end of the Traumatology and Orthopedics Residency Program, the residents should achieve the graduation target in the majority of theACGME-I Milestones for Traumatology and Orthopedics, as follows:

Medical knowledge (MK)

Residents must demonstrate knowledge in the field of established and developing biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and socio-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care. Residents must demonstrate a high level of their knowledge in the field of:

• Demonstrate competence in knowledge in areas suitable for an orthopedic surgeon;
• Demonstrate a research and analytical approach to clinical situations;
• Indications for various types of internal and external fixation devices and their use in multiple injuries of both axial and appendicular skeletons;
• Protocols for the treatment of severe soft tissue injuries, including compartment syndrome and secondary organ failure in polytrauma;
• Indications for early or immediate amputation, and not for attempts to save seriously damaged limbs;
• Diagnosis and treatment of complications of injuries of the musculoskeletal system;
• Pathophysiology of severe musculoskeletal injury and secondary organ failure;
• Psychiatric and psychological consequences of severe injury of the musculoskeletal system for the patient and his family members;
• Methods of recuperation and rehabilitation, as well as the use of physical and occupational therapy aimed at returning the patient to normal life and work;
• Sufficient familiarity with modern research methods to conduct a critical analysis of research reports;
• Scientific approach to solving clinical problems, independent training, development of analytical skills and surgical judgments, as well as scientific research;
• Opportunities to study anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology and epidemiology from the point of view of orthopedic trauma;
• Understanding the indications, risks and limitations associated with commonly performed procedures in this area.

Patient Care (PC)

An orthopedic resident should be able to provide the patient with compassionate, appropriate and effective care within the framework of medical programs and health promotion.

• Demonstrate competence in providing pre-medical care, inpatient treatment, operative care and follow-up care (including rehabilitation) for patients;
• Demonstrate competence in their ability to collect necessary and accurate information about their patients;
• Demonstrate competence in their ability to make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on patient information and preferences, modern scientific data in the field of orthopedics and clinical judgments;
• Demonstrate competence in their ability to develop and implement patient management plans;
• Demonstrate competence in their ability to provide medical services aimed at preventing health problems or maintaining health;
• Demonstrate competence in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic diseases in adults and children;
• Development of medical, surgical and psychosocial skills in the management of patients with severe injuries;
• Development of technical skills that ensure the ability of the resident to skillfully perform the procedures necessary to provide orthopedic trauma care;
• Focus on the diagnosis of clinical problems with orthopedic trauma, the mechanism of injury, available treatment methods, as well as the results and complications of such treatment;
• The ability to take on a progressive role in the continuity of patient care, including patient assessment, preoperative planning, operational experience, postoperative intensive care, other postoperative management, rehabilitation and other outpatient patient care.

Interpersonal Communication Skills (ICS)

Residents should demonstrate interpersonal communication skills that lead to effective information exchange and collaboration with patients, their families and medical professionals. Residents should:

• Communicate effectively with patients, families and the public, depending on the circumstances, in a wide range of socio-economic and cultural conditions (ICS1);
• Effectively interact with doctors, other healthcare professionals and healthcare-related institutions (ICS2);
• work effectively as a member or leader of a medical team or other professional group; act as a consultant for other doctors and medical professionals (ICS3);
• Maintaining complete, timely and legible medical and administrative records (ICS4);
• provide consultations, participate in joint decision-making and obtain informed consent for procedures, including alternative treatment methods, risks, benefits, complications and the perioperative course of these procedures (ICS5);
• inform patients and families about a medical error that caused harm by including risk management (ICS6) in this process;
• Lead interprofessional and interdisciplinary medical teams to achieve optimal results; lead effective care transitions and team debriefing (ICS7);
• respond to consultation requests in a timely manner and communicate recommendations to the requesting team; and (ICS8),
• Organize and participate in interdisciplinary family/patient/team conferences (ICS9).

Professionalism (P)

Residents must demonstrate commitment to professional duties and adherence to ethical principles. Residents must demonstrate:

• compassion, honesty and respect for others; responsiveness to the needs of the patient, which supersedes personal interests (P1);
• Respect for patient privacy and autonomy; accountability to patients, society and the profession (P2);
• Sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including diversity by gender, age, culture, race, religion, disability, and sexual orientation (P3);
• Ability to train others to improve punctuality and responsiveness (P4);
• The ability to offer help to others so that patient care responsibilities are fulfilled in a timely manner; (P5)
• Self-awareness of fatigue and stress and the ability to mitigate their effects (P6).

Practice-based learning and Improvement (PBL)

Residents must demonstrate the ability to research and evaluate their patient care, evaluate and assimilate scientific evidence, and continually improve patient care through ongoing self-assessment and lifelong learning. Residents are expected to develop the skills and habits necessary to achieve the following objectives:

• Identify strengths, weaknesses and limitations in their knowledge and experience (PBLI1);
• Set learning and improvement goals; identify and implement appropriate training activities (PBLI2);
• Systematically analyze practices using quality improvement methods and implement changes to improve practices (PBLI3);
• find, evaluate and assimilate scientific research data related to their patient's health problems (PBLI4);
• Incorporate formative evaluation feedback into everyday practice (PBLI5);
• participate in the training of patients, families, students, residents and other medical professionals (PBLI6);
• Participate in departmental or institutional quality assurance processes or committees (PBLI7);
• Use information technology to optimize training (PBLI8).

System-oriented Practice (SBP)

Residents should demonstrate awareness of and responsiveness to the broader context and health system, as well as the ability to effectively use other system resources to provide optimal health care. Residents should:

• work effectively in various institutions and medical care systems corresponding to their clinical specialty (SBP1);
• Coordinate patient care within the healthcare system appropriate to their clinical specialty (SBP2);
• if necessary, take into account considerations of cost awareness and risk-benefit analysis when providing medical care to patients and/or the public (SBP3);
• Working in interprofessional teams to improve patient safety and quality of care (SBP4);
• participate in the identification of system errors and the implementation of potential system solutions (SBP5);
• Report errors and omissions to the institutional oversight system and higher management (SBP6);
• Analysis of patient care options in terms of quality of life/cost of treatment, including patient counseling (SBP7);
• Actively participate in patient quality/safety Improvement projects (SBP8).

PGY 1

PGY 2

PGY 3

PGY 4

PGY 5

STEP 1. Create your personal account

Register on www.admissions.nu.edu.kz portal to create a Personal Account. Read the instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Complete your Application Form and attach the required documents

Fill out the application form and attach the required documents:

1. Scanned copy of a National ID card or passport;
2. Scanned copy of secondary school or higher education institution certificate (attestat/diploma) with final academic performance or certificate from the school (spravka) according to the sample in the personal account;
3. Motivation letter in English;
4. Valid copies of certificates. The results of standardized tests must be sent directly to the University through test administrators.

STEP 3. Pay an application fee

The application fee is paid online via your personal account with a bank card.

The application fee is 10 000 tenge and it is increased 3 times from the established amount when paid within the last two weeks before the first officially approved deadline and/or during the extension period for accepting applications for participation in the admission process. This amount is non-refundable.

Step 4. Finish the registration process

Finish the registration process by pressing the “Submit application” button. After submission applicants can’t change their applications.

Step 5. Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates

Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates in your personal account in the section "Upload IELTS/TOEFL" and fill up the required information about the certificate.

Further steps

Check your e-mail for notifications from the NU Admissions Department and your personal account to learn about your application status.

If you experience any difficulties with the registration or online application, please contact info_admissions@nu.edu.kz. Refer to your IIN and/or Applicant ID while sending us your requests.

Online application deadline for the residency program for the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and for international applicants - May 16, 2025, inclusive (2 pm Astana time).

All registered candidates can check the status of their application in the Personal account. Description of the status below is presented in the order of assignment to the candidate in the Personal account.

Application in processing. This is interim status, which means that the application is being processed. Admissions Committee will evaluate the application and inform the candidate on further steps/stages. Notification on final results will be sent to your email address.

Does not meet entry requirements. The status is assigned to the candidates who do not meet the minimum entry requirements. It is given after checking the application forms and the documents by the Admissions Department.

Disqualified. The status is assigned to candidates who are disqualified for gross violations of the conditions of the competition. For example, provided deliberately false information.

Rejected by Admissions Committee. At one of the competition stages, the Admissions Committee decided to reject the candidate’s application.

Transfer to another program. At the stage of an application screening the Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for consideration by the Admissions Committee of another program within the same School.

Pending. Candidate’s application is pending.

Waiting list. The Admissions Committee has finished reviewing the candidate’s application and made a decision to put you on a waiting list. Such candidates should expect notification from the University, as there is a possibility that if other candidates reject to study, they may be sent an invitation letter to study.

Recommended for admission to program. Admissions Committee has decided to recommend candidate for the program without going through the Zero Year of Graduate programs.

Recommended for conditional admission. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend a candidate for the conditional admission with a requirement to fulfill the condition by the deadline specified in the notification.

Withdrawn. Candidate decided to withdraw from the competition.

Accepted Program admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Refused admission offer. The candidate was recommended for admission, but refused to study.

Refused in favor of another NU program. The status is applicable for those candidates, who applied for several graduate programs at NU. The status is assigned when the candidate chooses another program.

Deferred. The status is assigned to candidates who were accepted for the program, but decided to postpone their studies until the next year.

Did not submit the documents/Refused. The status assigned to candidates who did not provide originals of the documents by the stated deadline, which means that the candidate refuses to study at University.

Did not come to Orientation week/Refused. The status is assigned to candidates who accepted the offer letter, provided hard copies of documents, but did not participate in Orientation week. The vacant place, if available, can be offered to the candidates in the Waiting list.

Enrolled to program. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the main program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

The clinical curriculum relies upon the ACGME Program Requirements for Traumatology and Orthopedics Residencies and fulfills the ACGME Competencies and Milestones required for all residencies, as described previously.

PGY 1 and PGY 2

The first two years of training will cover Common trunk rotations of surgical specialties such as General Surgery, ICU/Anesthesiology, Vascular Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Outpatient Surgery, Plastic/burn surgery, Musculoskeletal radiology giving an experience with one to four months rotations. The rest three years will provide in-depth experience covering all Orthopaedics/Traumatology areas with rotation duration being one to four months. Compulsory cycles focus on the deepening of the knowledge and skills of an orthopedic traumatologist in the field of emergency traumatology, the acquisition of skills and abilities prevention of musculoskeletal diseases, disorders, and injuries and their treatment by medical, surgical, and physical methods.

All clinical events of our first -year program will be held in several hospitals:

• City Hospital No. 2 (CH2)
• National research oncology center (NROC)
• National research cardiac surgery center (NRCSC)
• National Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after ak. Batpenova N.D. (TH)
• Republican diagnostic center (RDC)
• City Hospital No.1 (CH1)

The PGY 1 program will be developed in four specific hospital sites:

• General Surgery (CH№2)
• Vascular Surgery (NROC)
• ICU/Anesthesiology (NRCSC)
• Trauma Surgery (CH№2 / NCCEM)
• Outpatient Surgery (RDC)
• Musculoskeletal radiology (RDC)
• Plastic/burn surgery (CH№1)

All clinical events of our second -year program will be held in several hospitals:

• Polyclinic №9 (P9)
• National neurosurgery center / Presidential hospital (NNC / PH)
• City hospital 1/ National scientific medical center (CH№1 / NSMC)
• National research mother and child hospital / National research cardiac surgery center (NRCSC /NRMCH)
• National research cardiac surgery center (NRCSC)
• National Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after ak. Batpenova N.D. (TH)

The PGY 2 program will be developed in four specific hospital sites:

• Rhematology (P9)
• Neurosurgery (NNC/PH)
• Thoracic surgery (CH№1/NSMC)
• Pediatric surgery - orthpedics (NRCSC /NRMCH)
• Urgent cardiac surgery (NRCSC)
• Trauma surgery (TH)
• General surgery (CH№1)
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation (TH)

PGY3

The internship year (residents of the 3rd year of study) is devoted to the clinical experience of working with adult and child patients suffering from acquired and congenital orthopedic pathology, including trauma in children, with pathology of the spine, hand, foot and infection in orthopedics, hospitalized in several inpatient departments, under the appropriate supervision of attending physicians of Сity Children's hospitals and National Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after ak. Batpenova N.D., NUSOM mentors and teachers.

All clinical events of our third -year program will be held in several hospitals:

• National Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after ak. Batpenova N.D. (TH);
• City Children's Hospital No. 2 (CCН2)

Residents will undergo a series of three-, two- and one-month rotations in inpatient departments (such as adult orthopedics, traumatology, pediatric orthopedics, pediatric traumatology, hand microsurgery):

• General Adult Orthopedics (TH)
• General Pediatric Orthopedics, including injuries (CCH2)
• Spine Surgery (TH)
• Hand Surgery (TH)
• Foot Surgery (TH)
• Infection in Orthopedics (TH)

In the third year of training in the field of traumatology and orthopedics, residents will rely on their knowledge in the field of general basic non-orthopedic rotations, obtained during the first two years, and cope with orthopedic tasks. They will begin to take over the management of inpatient and outpatient orthopedic services, as well as the operating room schedule. They will perform minor operations under the supervision of a clinical mentor. It is expected that the residents of the 3rd training will also see and evaluate patients in the department of adult and pediatric orthopedics, spine surgery, hand, foot, infections in orthopedics. The third year of training in traumatology and orthopedics is also a time for active clinical research, reading and understanding clinical work.

PGY4

The internship year (residents of the 4th year of study) is devoted to the clinical experience of working with adult and child patients suffering from acquired and congenital orthopedic pathology, including trauma in children, with pathology of the spine, hand, foot and infection in orthopedics, hospitalized in several inpatient departments, under the appropriate supervision of attending physicians of city hospitals and NIIT, NUSOM mentors and teachers.

All clinical events of our third-year program will be held in several hospitals:

• National Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics. Batpenova N.D. (TH);
• National research oncology center (NROC) / Multidisciplinary Medical Center in Astana (MMC).

Residents will undergo a series of four-, three- and two-month rotations in inpatient departments (as the Department of arthroscopy, oncological orthopedics, endoprosthetics, orthopedic rehabilitation):

• Arthroscopic Knee and Shoulder Joint Surgery (TH)
• Oncological orthopedics, including those with metastatic lesions (NROC / MMC)
• Hip and Knee Joint Replacement (TH)
• Orthopedic rehabilitation, including amputations and post-amputation care (TH)

PGY5

The internship year (residents of the 5th year of study) is devoted to clinical experience of working with adult patients suffering from acquired and congenital orthopedic pathology, multiple trauma and emergency care, elective courses in the departments of endoprosthetics, arthroscopy, spine and pelvic surgery, hospitalized in several inpatient departments, under the appropriate supervision of attending physicians of the city hospital and NIIT, NU SOM mentors and teachers.

All clinical events of our fifth-year program will be held in several hospitals:

• National Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after Batpenova N.D. (TH);
• Multidisciplinary City Hospital №1 of Astana (CH №1)/ National Coordination Center for Emergency Medicine (NCCEM).

Residents will undergo a series of four-, three-month rotations in inpatient departments (as the department of adult orthopedics, multiple trauma and emergency medical care, endoprosthetics, arthroscopy, spinal surgery, pelvic surgery):

• Department of Adult Orthopedics (TH);
• Department of Multiple Trauma and Emergency Medical Care (CH №1/NCCEM);
• Elective course, one of the following:

1. Endoprosthetics (TH);
2. Arthroscopic Surgery (TH);
3. Spine and Pelvic Surgery (TH).