Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation

Eligibility and Application Process

The Visiting Student Elective Scholarship Program (VSESP) aims to support 4th year medical students, including those from historically underrepresented and underserved populations in medical school, whose diverse experiences and perspectives will contribute to excellence in our residency programs. The program is designed to increase awareness of opportunities in academic medicine in Vermont and provide clinical exposure during a month-long rotation at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), a level one trauma center serving a patient population of more than one million people.

• Full-time fourth year medical student in good standing at a LCME or COCA accredited US medical school. 
• Apply for a rotation through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities VSLO program.

OR Email Monika Donlevy, the Orthopaedic Advising Coordinator:

• Successful applicants will be those who are able to demonstrate their commitment to the Larner College of Medicine’s Tenets of Professionalism and how their unique lived experience will advance diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine and improve health care delivery to underserved areas and populations. Applicants must submit a personal statement (no more than 500 words) addressing 1) their interest in the UVM Larner College of Medicine, including specialty and career goals, and 2) their personal history (of activity) including how their unique lived experiences will contribute to diversity in medicine and the elimination of health disparities.

Information for visiting students. 

Overview 

The Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at UVM is committed to diversifying and mentoring the pool of potential residents that will help build a strong pipeline for future faculty in Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. 

Our Visiting Student Elective is a 4-week acting internship designed for 4th year medical students who intend to pursue a career in orthopaedics.  The elective is offered from May through February each year.  

The Scholarship program provides a $2,500 stipend to visiting students to support travel and housing during the elective.

Students will work at the UVM Medical Center and our Outpatient Clinic in the greater Burlington, Vermont area.  We see an extensive range of orthopaedic cases as the only Level One Trauma hospital for a large geographic area including Vermont and Upstate New York.

During the elective, students will work on one or more of our sub-specialty services which include:  Foot and Ankle, Hand and Upper Extremity, Pediatrics, Oncology, Joints, Spine, Trauma and Sports.

Students participate in morning sign-out, daily didactics from 6:30 to 7:30am, and Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Grand Rounds.  Students will become part of our Ortho family during their month as they learn more about our program and the beautiful Burlington area.

Rotations include assignments to one or more subspecialties to allow exposure to different types of orthopaedic cases.  Students will work in a variety of settings that include patient rounds, office visits at our outpatient center, Emergency Department consultations and scrubbing in on surgeries.  Students rotating have ample opportunities to participate in many procedures within the scope of Orthopaedic medicine.

Our department utilizes an Assisted Surgery System with the Mako Robotic Arm which gives pinpoint accuracy and reliable consistency to knee replacement surgery and allows for potential faster recovery times for patients and greater access to partial knee replacements.

Mentorship

Students will benefit from working alongside our dynamic residents and faculty who come from a broad range of backgrounds and have unique academic interests. Mentorship and advising takes place with our close-knit group of residents, a mid-rotation question answer session with our Program Director, and mentorship from faculty with diverse subspecialty training and interests.