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About

The UTHSC-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering provides each resident with the opportunity to gain a well-rounded education and surgical training in the fundamentals of the science and the art of orthopaedic surgery, from which he/she should be able to carry on continued learning for the remainder of his/her professional career. The objectives of the Department are to provide the medical and administrative personnel, physical facilities and financial support necessary for (a) teaching related to diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system, (b) patient care, and (c) research.

The UTHSC-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering is designed to obtain a careful balance between academic theoretical learning and practical experience to provide a resident with education and experience and graduated exposure to surgical techniques through a system of categorical orthopaedic rotations. Research opportunity is available and encouraged. All residents participate in clinical and laboratory research projects. The program's designs exposes the student and resident to a wide variety of orthopaedic problems. We attempt to provide an environment conducive to learning and one which encourages the highly motivated, inquisitive and responsible trainee to attain maximum productivity as he/she strives toward excellence. The prime goal of this program is the teaching of exemplary patient care.

It is the department's belief that the residency years are an extension of the educational process rather than an "apprenticeship." The following concepts are therefore emphasized: educational balance, a strong basic science foundation, continuity of patient care, close faculty participation in all phases of the learning process, and an emphasis on the "why" as well as the "how" of orthopaedic surgery. Through additional didacticlectures, our students gain a deeper understanding of anatomy, biology, and the pathology of the musculoskeletal system, in addition to development of surgical skills.

The resident is involved in the teaching process at various times during all five years (such as lectures, laboratory demonstrations, etc.). This provides the resident with an opportunity to develop and refine his or her teaching skills, an important adjunct to the resident's educational experiences.

It is especially clear in orthopaedic surgery that therapeutic effectiveness often can be evaluated only in the light of long-term results. Therefore, patients are followed for long period, of time, even after treatment is completed, to provide the opportunity for long-term evaluation of different forms of therapy.

Dr. Willis C. Campbell was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1880 and received his medical education from the University of Virginia in 1904. After his internship, Dr. Campbell opened his medical practice in Memphis, specializing in general surgery, anesthesia, and pediatrics. He studied orthopaedics in London and Vienna and returned to Memphis in 1909 to open his orthopaedic practice.

When the University of Tennessee Medical Campus was established in 1910, Dr. Campbell organized the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and became the first professor and head of that department, a position he held until his death.

In 1924, Campbell Clinic established the first residency program in Memphis to train orthopaedic surgeons. The residency program began with four residents, has gradually expanded to the present 40 residents. In 1946, the Campbell Clinic foundation was chartered as the resident education branch of the Campbell organization and functioned as the Department of Orthopaedics for the University of Tennessee. In 1990, Campbell Foundation partnered with the Department of Orthopaedics to manage the residency program. The University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic Orthopaedic Residency Program is an accredited, five year orthopaedic residency program for 40 full-time orthopaedic residents. All affiliated educational facilities are located in the Memphis metropolitan area. Today, Campbell Clinic doctors are continuing this tradition of educational excellence by teaching within the UT-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedics and Biomedical Engineering, and lecturing all over the nation and the world.

    • 1909 - Dr. Willis C. Campbell opened his practice in Memphis. He would become one of the world's preeminent leaders in the advancement of orthopaedic medicine.
    • 1910 - Dr. Campbell organized the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University.
    • 1919 - Memphis' first Crippled Children's Hospital was started by the King's Daughters with the support and encouragement of Dr. Campbell. Patient care was donated by Campbell Clinic Physicians until the hospital was sold to Methodist Health Systems in the 1970's.
    • 1924 - Dr. Campbell established the orthopaedic residency program which has trained over 400 of the world's finest orthopaedic surgeons.
    • 1933 - The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) was founded by Dr. Campbell, who served as the first elected president.
    • 1946 - To perpetuate Willis Campbell's commitment to the advancement of orthopaedic medicine, his partners established Campbell's Foundation. Over the years, the Foundation has received support from grateful patients, staff members, former residents, and numerous organizations. Image Drs. Spencer Speed, Harold Boyd, J. F. Hamilton, & Hugh Smith
    • 1990 - A long-standing information informal arrangement was made official, and the department became the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. All Campbell Clinic surgeons hold faculty appointments in this department and work closely with its research scientist in a "bench to bedside" approach to solve orthopaedic and musculoskeletal problems.
    • 2012 - The department was expanded to include Biomedical Engineering, and became known as the UT-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering. William M. Mihalko, M.D., Ph.D., was named as the J.R. Hyde Chair and Director of the Biomedical Engineering group. The biomedical engineering program is a joint program with the University of Memphis.
    • 2013 - The 12th edition of Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics was published. The four-volume textbook contains over 4,000 pages, with more than 1,800 descriptions of orthopaedic procedures and over 9,000 illustrations. It remains as the top-selling orthopaedic textbook in the world, and has been translated into seven languages. The Campbell Clinic and its faculty and staff appreciate all feedback regarding content and layout in all current editions of their publications.
    • 2014 - The UT-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering continues to conduct extensive clinical research, and to share our findings with the world. A list of publications from staff and residents.
May 26, 2022