Vision Statement
The University of Kansas Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Residency Program will produce competent, ethical, and well-rounded orthopedic surgeons, prepared for entry into either fellowship training or practice, who will be leaders in both preeminent academic institutions as well as the private sector.
Mission Statement
Through rigorous clinical experience, didactics, and mentorship, we will provide a diverse and well-rounded educational experience with the breadth and depth for excellence in both routine clinical issues as well as complex problems encountered in a tertiary referral center. Opportunities for active participation in clinical care, education of medical students and fellow residents, and protected research time will provide the foundation for success in any future practice setting. Residents and faculty alike will take pride in the quality of surgeons finishing this program.
Paul Schroeppel, M.D. specializes in orthopedic sports medicine. Dr Schroeppel is an alumnus of Kansas University where he completed his undergraduate education, medical school, and orthopedic surgery residency. He is the lead team physician for the Kansas City Chiefs and has been the Chair of the department since 2023.
Kyle Sweeney, M.D. specializes in orthopedic oncology. He joined the faculty at KU in 2017 after completing medical school at Vanderbilt University, residency at Emory University, and his fellowship at The University of Chicago. After serving as the faculty mentor to the Adler Society Orthopedic Interest group and associate program director, Dr. Sweeney has served as Residency Program Director since 2023.
Brent Wise, M.D. is an orthopedic traumatologist. He completed his medical education at the University of Florida before going on to complete his residency at Emory University and fellowship at Shock Trauma. After beginning his career at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Dr. Wise joined KU in 2019. He has served as Associate Program Director since 2023, continuing over a decade of collaboration with Dr. Sweeney that began as orthopedic interns in 2011.
Joseph Weiner, M.D. specializes in orthopedic spine surgery. He completed his medical school and residency training at Northwestern University. He joined the faculty in 2022 and in 2023 began serving as the faculty mentor to the Adler Society Orthopedic Interest Group and the Orthopedic Surgery Clerkship Director.
A Program Director’s Perspective: Why KU?
Thank you for your interest in our residency program. As the program director, I am excited to share what makes our program unique and why we believe it offers a truly exceptional experience for future orthopedic surgeons.
At the University of Kansas, we place a strong emphasis on hands-on orthopedic training. It is our steadfast belief that resident career success and well-being are not two separate concepts, but rather intimately tied together. Clinically, we focus on the tangible growth in your skills, surgical proficiency, and graduated responsibility as these pursuits are why you go into residency in the first place! Seeing one’s skills noticeably improve over time is incredibly rewarding. With a faculty-to-resident ratio designed to ensure more surgical cases than we have resident coverage, we offer an unparalleled breadth and depth of training. Our commitment to “early and often” surgical experience means you’ll be involved in a variety of cases from the outset, and our faculty is dedicated to developing your skills and providing regular, meaningful feedback.
In addition to outstanding surgical training, mentorship is at the heart of our program. We believe that strong mentor-mentee relationships are crucial for personal and professional development. While every training program recognizes this truth, at KU, we back that sentiment up with meaningful funding. We have invested tens of thousands of dollars in departmental funds to foster relationships through resident-directed events such as dinners, sporting events, social outings, and various other opportunities promoting both formal and informal interaction with faculty mentors. Faculty are rewarded for their active participation in didactics, labs, and conferences. Our program’s didactics are faculty-driven, with a strong emphasis on hands-on cadaver labs, and each rotation includes pre-, mid-, and post-rotation meetings to ensure that consistent feedback and expectations are clear.
Our goal is to create an environment where faculty and residents build strong, lasting relationships, ultimately benefiting both parties as well as the patients we care for. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to explore our program, and I am confident that if you visit us for a rotation or interview, you will feel the same sense of pride and excitement about what we have to offer.
Thank you for considering the University of Kansas Department of Orthopedic Surgery for your residency training. We look forward to the possibility of having you join us!
Kyle Sweeney, M.D.
Program Director
Contact Us
Please contact Amy Phillips with any questions about the KU School of Medicine orthopedic residency program at KU Medical Center.
Amy Phillips, Senior Residency Coordinator
University of Kansas Medical Center
Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Medical Education
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Mail Stop 3017
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: 913-588-0575
aphillips3@kumc.edu