Department Chair
Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Nationally Recognized. Rapidly Expanding. Academically Driven.
About the Opportunity
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) seeks an accomplished, dynamic leader to serve as Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. Reporting to the Dean of the College of Medicine, the Chair will lead one of the nation’s leading academic orthopaedic programs, known for excellence in patient care, research, and surgical education. The department includes:
- Nationally recognized clinical program
- Free-standing Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital
- $11.3 million COBRE research program
- ACGME-accredited residency program
The successful candidate will bring strategic vision, exceptional leadership, and a commitment to excellence across patient care, education, research, and faculty development.
Qualifications
- MD, DO, or equivalent
- Certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
- Eligibility for academic rank under UAMS Promotion and Tenure criteria
- National reputation for leadership in orthopaedic surgery
- Sustained academic productivity in research, education, quality improvement, or orthopaedic business models
- Eligibility for Arkansas medical licensure
Application Information
Please email your curriculum vitae (CV) and cover letter to
OrthoChairSearch@uams.edu
Salary
Salary is commensurate with education and experience.
Required Documents
- Cover Letter/Letter of Application
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation
UAMS is designated as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement and Spine Surgery and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the Top 10% of hospitals for Orthopedics, Spinal Fusion, and Hip Fracture.
As the leading provider of orthopaedic care in Arkansas, orthopaedics faculty care for adult and pediatric patients at The Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital (TOSH) at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital. Additional care is provided across 13 outpatient clinics in Little Rock, Conway, Pine Bluff, Springdale, Bentonville, and Fayetteville.
In addition to The Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital on the UAMS campus, the Department will also be opening The UAMS Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Fayetteville, AR, in June of 2027. This facility will hold 6 operating rooms and 10 inpatient rooms as well as specialty outpatient clinics, Therapy and Sports Performance clinic and the ability to do WALANT procedures. It will also host an advanced MRI suite. UAMS is the official orthopaedic and sports medicine provider for the University of Arkansas Razorback® Athletics.
The Department includes 56 orthopaedic clinical faculty (41 in Central Arkansas and15 in Northwest Arkansas), 6 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation faculty, and 19 research faculty. Clinical teams include: Foot and Ankle; Adult Reconstruction and Replacement; Hand and Upper Extremity; Orthopaedic Oncology; Orthopaedic Trauma; Pediatric Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine; Shoulder and Elbow; Sports Medicine Surgery; Primary Care Sports Medicine; and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Faculty members are academically productive, with 46 manuscripts published in the last year.
The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital (TOSH) at UAMS
This freestanding four-story, 158,000 square-foot structure is dedicated entirely to orthopaedic surgery, comprehensive spine care, rehabilitation therapy, and pain management. Key features include:
- 12 operating rooms and 24 inpatients rooms
- Specialty clinic with 22,500 visits annually
- OrthoNow walk-in clinic with 7,070 visits annually
- WALANT procedure rooms
- Robotic Spine Program
- Advanced imaging suite
- Rehabilitation suite with therapeutic walking garden
- Bioskills lab and dedicated educational spaces
- Faculty and administrative offices, conference rooms, terrace
- 140 works of art by local and regional artists
Annual volume:
- 7,133 operating room cases
- 5,210 inpatient stays
- 7,536 outpatient therapy visits
- 6,467 pain clinic visits
- 5,920 pain procedures
The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Northwest Arkansas
Rendering Credit: Bezier
The new facility will be the home in Northwest Arkansas for UAMS Health orthopaedic surgical care and will include exam rooms, operating rooms, and inpatient beds. The facility will also provide sports medicine care, sports performance training, physical therapy, and imaging. Key features include:
- 85,000 square feet
- 6 operating rooms
- 10 inpatient rooms
- Specialty outpatient clinic space, including sports medicine
- Therapy and Sports Performance outpatient clinics
- WALANT procedures
- Advanced MRI suite
- Faculty administrative offices, conference rooms
Residency & Education Programs
Our highly competitive ACGME accredited five-year orthopaedic surgery residency program includes 25 residents and boasts a 100% Part 1 board pass rate over the last ten years, reflecting our strong commitment to educational excellence and trainee success. Residents benefit from a comprehensive curriculum that blends didactic learning with early and progressive clinical responsibility. The program emphasizes a flipped classroom model supported by weekly conferences, journal clubs, case presentations, hands-on training in our simulation labs and a dedicated bioskills lab. Clinical training is distinguished by high patient volume and broad subspecialty exposure across three major hospital sites, allowing residents to develop technical skills early and refine them through graduated surgical autonomy. The department offers fellowships in Adult Reconstruction and Integrated Spine Surgery, as well as elective orthopaedic rotations for medical students.
The Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research
The Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR) is a trans-departmental center supported by an NIH COBRE award to UAMS. The CMDR currently supports 24 faculty members at UAMS (17 PhDs, 2 MD/PhDs, and 5 MDs ) and 2 faculty members at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (UAF). Over the last 8 years, the CMDR has obtained $45.3M in federal support ($22.9M COBRE + $22.4M COBRE-supported investigators). The CMDR also maintains 4 research cores (the Genetic Models Core, the Histology, Biomechanics, and Human Tissue Core, the Bone Imaging Core, and the Bioinformatics Core). During the last 8 years, CMDR-supported investigators have published more than 220 peer-reviewed research papers.
Translational Research Institute (TRI)
The Translational Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is one of 62 Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) in the United States. The CTSA was renewed for seven years of funding in July 2024 through a $32 million dollar award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health. The CTSA has a K12 award program that funds four early career faculty each year for two-year career development awards, as well as a T32 program that trains post-doctoral fellows in entrepreneurship through a collaboration with the Walton Business School of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. In addition, TRI serves as the home for clinical trials for all non-cancer studies conducted at UAMS. Currently TRI provides regulatory, financial, coordinator and recruitment support for over 140 active clinical trials, sponsored by the NIH or the pharmaceutical industry. TRI also provides support for bioinformatics, study design and statistics, community engagement, team science studios and training, pilot grants, grant-writing and development, and scientific communication. TRI is one of four campus sponsors of the UAMS Rural Research Network which places research coordinators in UAMS rural clinics to increase the engagement of rural patients in clinical research opportunities.
About UAMS
UAMS is Arkansas’ only comprehensive tertiary academic health center. The institution includes:
- Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions & Public Health
- A Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
- A 535-bed acute care hospital in Little Rock
- The state’s only Adult Level 1 Trauma Center
- Nine regional campuses across Arkansas
- Eight institutes of excellence
- A statewide clinical enterprise under UAMS Health
Life in Little Rock
Located in Arkansas’s capital city, UAMS offers the advantages of a vibrant metropolitan area with the affordability and quality of life of the Natural State. Little Rock features exceptional dining, arts and culture, outdoor recreation, excellent neighborhoods, and convenient access through Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.
- State capital city
- Excellent public and private schools
- Outdoor activities including hiking, biking, state parks, boating, camping
- Cultural activities including Clinton Presidential Library, symphony, ballet, repertory theater, art museums, zoo
- National airport served by Delta, American, Southwest, Frontier, United, Allegiant with easy connections to national and international hubs and non-stop flights to 17 cities