The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has a medical student summer research program for students between the first and second year or second and third year of medical school.
This 8-week program will allow medical students to conduct clinical, basic, or translational research in the Department under the direction of an established mentor. In addition to working on a research project, students will observe clinical patient care and attend weekly seminars on research skills and/or orthopaedic hands-on skills.
At the conclusion of the summer, each student will present a brief summary of his/her work at a scientific symposium.
Things to Know
A stipend will be provided to all accepted applicants.
Housing will be available on the Vanderbilt University campus for those interested.
Program Dates
Program dates for Summer 2025 are June 2nd to July 25th.
How to Apply
Applications are closed for 2025. Applicants can expect a response from our review committee in February, thank you for your patience while we review applications.
Please feel free to check our FAQ section or contact us with specific questions about our program: OrthoSRP@vumc.org.
Student Testimonials
"The Vanderbilt summer program is a great mix of clinical exposure in the OR/clinic, research, time to develop a relationship with your mentor, and time to spend on fun activities with your cohort." -- Peter Chan, MD Candidate 2026
"After our one-on-one meeting last summer, I joined RJOS, as you suggested. I recently applied for and received the Kay Scholarship, which provides financial support for upcoming away rotations and accommodations to attend the annual RJOS conference next year in San Francisco. The mentorship and knowledge I gained from Vanderbilt's internship have been a stepping stone toward this scholarship; thank you and the team for creating and organizing the summer program." -- Tia Shutes, MD Candidate 2026
"The mentorship provided by world-class surgeons led to the publication of our work, which was an impactful moment in my academic development. The opportunities that have emerged from this experience have been incredible. I am currently pursuing a research year, a direct result of the doors that this program opened for me." – Emil Vargas, MD Candidate 2025
"I was able to obtain multiple publications which ultimately led to a national conference. The relationships and early experiences I made through this program would've been difficult to obtain otherwise." -Gabriel Lane, MD Candidate 2025
"I can't emphasize enough how easy it has been to reach my mentors. That has been my favorite part. The connection all of us students have been able to build with our mentors is probably the biggest plus of the program."
"Resident conferences have been really engaging, even though they are complicated, and gives us a glimpse into what education and learning will be like as a resident. I'm a very hands-on learning type of person so I especially have enjoyed the casting sessions and the sawbones workshop."