Information for Applicants

Thank you for your interest in our Orthopaedic residency program. We hope you will consider applying. Please take a moment to review the frequently asked questions and answers below. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our program at orthoresidentelp@ttuhsc.edu.

 

We look forward to receiving your application for admission into our residency program. We receive applications solely through the Electronic Resident Application Service (ERAS) provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The following documents should be submitted through ERAS:

  • Application
  • Personal Statement
  • Official USMLE/COMLEX transcript
  • Medical school transcript
  • Dean's letter
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • If you are not currently in medical school, a letter of recommendation must be received from the physician with whom you are currently working.

We do not have a specific deadline for applications; however, given the volume of applications we receive and the limited number of interview spots, we recommend submitting your application before the ERAS release date of September 24, 2025.  Applications received after November 10, 2025, may not be reviewed, as our program participates in the Universal Interview Offer Day, in accordance with the AOA/CORD interview guidelines for Orthopaedic Surgery residency programs.

When interview offers are extended, a 24-hour moratorium will be in place on accepting interviews. Following this moratorium, applicants will have 48 hours to schedule interviews.

We accept three residents per year.

Applicants must meet one of the following qualifications to be eligible to apply for the Orthopaedic Residency Program:

  • Graduates of medical schools in the United States and accredited by the LCME;
  • Graduates of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the AOA;
  • Graduates of medical schools outside the United States who meet the following qualifications:
    • Have received a currently valid certificate from the ECFMG
    • One year U.S. clinical experience (does not include observerships, externships, or research)

There are no minimum score criteria to apply. You do not have to have taken Step 2 CK/Level 2 CE prior to being extended an interview. However, to be ranked by our program, we must receive passing scores on both USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK (for Allopathic applicants) or COMLEX Level 1 and Level 2 CE (for Osteopathic applicants). Scores can take up to 8 weeks to be reported, so please plan accordingly.

PGY-1 residents must take USMLE 3 or COMLEX Level 3 by the end of the PGY-1 training year/ completion of the TY training program.

USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX Level 3, as applicable, must be passed before March 1 or 4 months before the completion of the PGY-2 year.

Applicants who meet our basic criteria will be evaluated and considered. Upon initial review of the applications, you may be selected for an interview, or your application may remain active while we consider other applications. If you are NOT selected for an interview, you will NOT be contacted. We only contact applicants who are selected for an interview.

All interviews will be done in person, here in El Paso, Texas.  The interview experience will include dinner the night before the interview, a tour of the facilities on the day of the interview, and interviews with our faculty.  We feel it is essential for our applicants to experience firsthand the culture and hospitality that our program and border community have to offer.  

Interviews for the 2025-2026 application cycle will be held in January. The interview experience begins the night before with dinner with our faculty, followed by interviews the following morning. Expected end time is around 1 p.m.