Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) has been ranked #1 in Canada and #26 worldwide for Orthopaedics by Newsweek. This ranking is based on peer recognition, accreditation data, and implementation of patient-reported outcome measures. See the complete list of Newsweek’s World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2025 for Orthopaedics.
The Vancouver General Hospital is a Level-1 Trauma Centre and home to a multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, nurses and allied healthcare workers dedicated to trauma. Orthopaedic surgeons and trainees from the Division of Orthopaedic Trauma at the UBC Department of Orthopaedics are key team members. The division has a reputation around the world for delivering excellence in education and providing the best in evidence-based orthopaedic trauma care.
“Our Division’s work is built on the shoulders of giants in the field: the thinking of Drs. Bob Meek, Peter O’Brien, and Piotr Blachut has led the way of subspecialized, comprehensive trauma patient care for the last four decades. Their innovative spirit and dedication to research, education and good patient care is reflected in the care VGH patients receive today—and the care our trainees deliver around the world.”
— Dr. Pierre Guy, Professor and Head of the Trauma Division at the UBC Department of Orthopaedics
Academic Excellence
Vancouver General Hospital is where our orthopaedics residents learn about the principles of fracture care and polytrauma care.
Orthopaedic surgeons come from around the world as fellows for the opportunity to train with us. The Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship at VGH was the first of its kind in Canada and has been training Canadian and international clinical fellows since 1984. The program offers a strong clinical, surgical, and research program with exposure to a diverse range of complex traumatic pathology.
This is a prized fellowship with over 30 applicants this year for 3 positions. The fellowship aims to train Canadian and international surgeons. In the last five years just under half of our VGH trauma fellows have been international, with 45 percent of these joining us from the United Kingdom. The other international fellows originated from Columbia, Israel, Kuwait, and Switzerland. VGH Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship Program graduates are now practicing in 13 countries across the globe.
Centre for Acute Clinical Care
Every year, thousands of British Columbians are critically injured as a result of accidents. VGH is the center for trauma referrals from across British Columbia and the Yukon.
When a person experiences multiple traumas, fractures, sprains and other bone and soft tissue injuries, the patient often requires immediate attention by an orthopaedic trauma surgeon. Our team is called upon to assist in managing complex cases by an extensive network of surgeons.
Patients are first assessed in the emergency department by an orthopedic resident, fellow, and attending and guided through the needed care pathway as an inpatient or an outpatient. Some critically injured patients from across British Columbia arrive by BC Air Ambulance on the helicopter pad on the roof of VGH’s Jim Pattison Pavilion.
Learn more:
- Newsweek: World’s best specialized hospitals 2025 in Orthopaedics
- UBC Orthopaedics: Division of Orthopaedic Trauma
- UBC Orthopaedics: Fellowship Opportunities
- UBC Orthopaedics: Residency Program
