<p>A fellowship-trained Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon is needed to join an established orthopedic group at a 465-bed multi-specialty hospital in Modesto, California — a facility with dedicated daily trauma OR time, 15 operating rooms, and a full multidisciplinary trauma response infrastructure. The position delivers the case volume and surgical autonomy that define a high-functioning trauma practice, paired with a call structure that is optional and flexible rather than mandatory and exhausting. Compensation opens at $701,300 and scales to $946,000 annually with production-based uplift, placing this among the stronger-paying trauma opportunities in the state. Modesto's Central Valley location offers Bay Area proximity and Yosemite access at a fraction of coastal cost of living.</p>
<h3>Perks and Benefits</h3> <ul> <li>Base salary range of $701,300–$946,000 annually, with production-based uplift above base</li> <li>Negotiable sign-on bonus and relocation assistance package</li> <li>Loan repayment available, negotiable at offer</li> <li>Performance-based bonus structure, negotiable</li> <li>Malpractice coverage with tail protection included</li> <li>401(k) retirement plan with employer matching</li> <li>Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance</li> <li>CME allowance with conference support</li> <li>Generous paid time off</li> </ul>
<h3>Practice Highlights</h3> <ul> <li>465-bed multi-specialty hospital with 15 operating rooms, including one OR designated exclusively to trauma every day</li> <li>Consistent high patient and surgical case volume — sufficient to keep subspecialty skills sharp across the full trauma spectrum</li> <li>Call coverage is optional and structured around hospital needs, allowing surgeons to calibrate call burden to their career stage</li> <li>Designated STEMI Center, Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, and ECMO-capable facility — polytrauma patients arrive into a coordinated, full multidisciplinary response</li> <li>On-site ICU, cardiac, and neurosurgical support integrated into the trauma response team</li> <li>On-site imaging, physical therapy, and full subspecialty support available within the facility</li> <li>Established orthopedic group with existing infrastructure and patient referral base</li> <li>Mentorship and structured onboarding available for fellowship graduates entering their first attending role</li> </ul>
<h3>Qualifications</h3> <ul> <li>MD or DO degree from an accredited institution</li> <li>Board Certified or Board Eligible in Orthopedic Surgery (American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery)</li> <li>Fellowship training in Orthopedic Trauma required</li> <li>Active California medical license or demonstrated ability to obtain one</li> </ul>
<h3>About the Community</h3> <p>Modesto occupies a genuinely strategic position in California's Central Valley — 89 miles from San Francisco, 75 miles from Sacramento, and less than two hours from the gateway towns to Yosemite National Park, with Lake Tahoe ski access within four hours. Housing costs run well below coastal California markets, and the region offers world-class wine country thirty minutes away in Lodi and Calaveras County, year-round sunshine, and a revitalized downtown Tenth Street District with independent restaurants, an art-house theater, and a genuine small-city community feel. Families will find a strong public school system, several well-regarded private schools, California State University Stanislaus, and Modesto Junior College all within easy reach.</p>