By Wade Faerber, DO, FAOAO, FAOA
Program Director
The Riverside University Health System (RUHS) Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program is located in Moreno Valley, California, in the heart of the Inland Empire — one of the fastest-growing and most diverse regions in the United States. RUHS Medical Center is a safety net hospital with a deep institutional commitment to serving the underserved populations of Riverside County, providing residents with a uniquely broad and high-volume clinical experience in a patient population that mirrors the communities they will go on to serve.
The program was founded under the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accreditation and has been shaped by the enduring vision of Program Director Wade Faerber, DO, FAOAO, FAOA, who has served as Program Director since 2000. Dr. Faerber is a fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with subspecialty expertise in sports medicine, shoulder, and knee surgery.
Dr. Faerber simultaneously serves as Chair of the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at RUHS Medical Center and as Medical Director of the Riverside University Health System Orthopaedic Surgery Physician Assistant Program, which he developed in 2005 and which received ARC-PA accreditation in 2023. Under his leadership, the residency program has grown to four categorical positions per year, with a total complement of 20 residents. The program is supported by 18 faculty at RUHS Medical Center, 12 faculty at Kaiser Permanente Riverside, and 9 faculty at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. All faculty are board certified and subspecialty fellowship trained.
RUHS Medical Center resides one hour east of Los Angeles, one hour west of Palm Springs, and one and a half hours north of San Diego — placing residents at the center of one of the most dynamic regions in the country. Southern California’s year-round sunshine and mild climate provide an ideal backdrop for leisure and exploration. Residents enjoy easy access to mountain recreation at Big Bear Lake, desert landscapes at Joshua Tree National Park, and Pacific beaches along the Orange and San Diego County coastlines — as well as the cultural offerings, professional sports, and world-class dining that define life in greater Los Angeles and San Diego. The region is also home to Perris, California, known as the Skydiving Capital of America, offering residents yet another thrilling recreational option close to home. Our residents and faculty also serve as team doctors for Cal Baptist University athletics and two Single-A Professional Baseball teams — the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels affiliate) and the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners affiliate).
Accreditation and Program Growth
The RUHS Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program received AOA accreditation in 2001. Through the single GME accreditation system, the program has achieved each successive milestone in national accreditation:
These milestones reflect the culmination of years of infrastructure development, curricular alignment, and faculty investment, and have positioned the program for continued excellence in the ACGME era.
Training Environment and Clinical Experience
RUHS Medical Center achieved Level 1 ACS Trauma Certification in 2021 and serves as a regional Pediatric Trauma Center, making it one of the busiest and most comprehensive trauma centers in the Inland Empire. The institution also earned designation as an Advanced Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Joint Commission Center of Excellence in November 2021, followed by a Joint Commission Center of Excellence for Hip Fractures in September 2022 — designations that reflect the institutional depth and subspecialty sophistication defining the resident training experience. The program has also recently added the Mako robotic-assisted arthroplasty system, further advancing the total joints program and providing residents with training in cutting-edge surgical technology.
Subspecialty exposure during the residency is comprehensive. Residents train across the full breadth of orthopaedic surgery through both in-house services and off-site rotations.
This combination of in-house subspecialty breadth and off-site rotation depth ensures that graduating residents are fully prepared for both general orthopaedic practice and competitive fellowship training.
Didactics and Educational Philosophy
The educational philosophy at RUHS is grounded in the integration of rigorous didactic training with progressive, hands-on clinical responsibility. The program employs a comprehensive didactic curriculum merged with a structured core competency framework to assess and document progressive learning. This model ensures that each resident develops not only technical surgical proficiency but also the professional and interpersonal competencies essential to exceptional patient care. Program leadership emphasizes that clinical excellence and humanistic medicine are inseparable goals — and this philosophy is reflected in the program’s culture and mentorship approach.
Mission
The mission of the RUHS Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program is to provide the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to develop competent, fully qualified, and ethical orthopaedic surgeons who will dedicate themselves to a high standard of practice and contribute to the ongoing provision of quality patient care. The residents and faculty are committed to upholding the highest professional standards while maintaining integrity and continued service to the community. They are dedicated to fostering a learning environment that cultivates leadership, teamwork, and compassionate patient care — with every effort made to enrich the medical profession and advance the field of Orthopaedic Surgery.
With a legacy of training dedicated, community-minded orthopaedic surgeons across more than two decades, the RUHS Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program continues to grow in reputation and reach. The program takes pride in producing graduates who are as skilled in the operating room as they are committed to the patients and communities they serve.
For further information and details regarding our program, please visit our website at ruhealth.org/medical-center/medical-education/orthopaedic-surgery-residency
