4th Year Clerkships in Orthopaedics

The Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation welcomes visiting senior medical students, though space is limited. You must be an enrolled medical student in good standing at an accredited U.S. allopathic medical school; you must be taking the elective for credit from your medical school with the Dean's approval and must have adequate professional liability insurance coverage and adequate health insurance.

Visiting student elective applications are considered in order of receipt. Vanderbilt students are scheduled in May and we will know availability after that. You will be notified by letter when you have been accepted for a visiting student rotation.

Visiting Students must adhere to Vanderbilt's
Fourth Year Class Calendar

Approved medical students are required, upon arrival at Vanderbilt, to take part in a Bloodborne Pathogen Training Session. A $100.00 registration fee is payable from all students upon confirmation as a visiting medical student.

In addition to application materials required by Student Records, please forward a current CV, medical school transcript, as well as a copy of your USMLE Part 1 score to the attention of:

Michelle Lennon
Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute
Medical Center East, South Tower, Suite 4200
Nashville, TN 37232 -8774

Vanderbilt will not issue credit for the experience though Vanderbilt will provide the student's medical school a performance evaluation, if requested, for credit purposes.

This course will provide the student interested in hands-on exposure to one of seven orthopaedic subspecialties.

Adult Hand - Provides hands-on exposure to adult hand surgery. The student will be able to integrate medical and surgical knowledge in the care of patients with congenital hand deformities and musculoskeletal hand injuries in both in patient and out patient settings. Emphasis will be placed on initial evaluation, pre-operative and post-operative management.

Adult Reconstructive Surgery - Provides hand-on exposure to adult reconstructive surgery. The student will be able to integrate surgical knowledge in the care of orthopaedic patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Adult Spine - The student will be asked to integrate medical and surgical knowledge in the care of patients with spine related deformities and injuries in the hospital and outpatient clinics. Students will receive an introduction to outpatient assessment and inpatient management of individuals with a wide variety of spinal disorders. The course is designed to provide a proper assessment of patients with low back pain and spinal injuries who have neurological involvement. The student will be expected to participate actively in the emergent, preoperative, surgical, postoperative hospital, and outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic care of orthopaedic patients.

Adult Trauma - This course is designed to provide hands-on exposure to orthopaedic traumatology. The student will be asked to integrate medical and surgical knowledge in the care of trauma victims and musculoskeletal injuries in the hospital and outpatient clinics. Participation in patient care will be defined by the Chief Resident. The student will be expected to participate aggressively in the emergent, preoperative, surgical, postoperative hospital and outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic care of orthopaedic patients.

Foot & Ankle - The student will be asked to participate in the preoperative, postoperative, and surgical care of patients with foot and ankle disorders. The student will be exposed to inpatient and outpatient encounter settings. Learning objectives include an in-depth understanding of the evaluation and management of arthritis, sports medicine, common deformities, tendonopathies, and neuropathy pertaining to the foot and ankle.  Orthotic and pedorthic management will also be covered.  The foot and ankle resident will determine patient care responsibilities.

Pediatric Orthopaedics - This course will provide the student with experience assessing and managing pediatric orthopaedic surgical patients. Emphasis will be placed on pertinent history taking, evaluation of the child, and decision making and treatment in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Sports Medicine - This course is designed to provide hands-on exposure to orthopaedic sports medicine. The student will be asked to integrate medical and surgical knowledge in the care of athletic injuries in the Sports Medicine Center and the Operating Room. Participation in patient care will be defined by the Attending and the Resident. The student will be expected to participate aggressively in the emergent, preoperative, surgical, postoperative hospital, and outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic care of athletic injuries and all injuries of the knee and shoulder.

Oncology - This course provides hand-on exposure to musculoskeletal oncology. The student will be able to integrate medical, surgical, pathological, and radiological patient information. Patients are evaluated in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

NOTE: Please indicate your first, second, and third choices of orthopaedic subspecialties on your application. If you do not and you are confirmed as a visiting medical student, you will be placed on any available service.

An application is required at least 8 weeks in advance.

 Applications can be obtained from

Michelle Lennon
Residency Program Director
Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute
Medical Center East, South Tower, Suite 4200
Nashville, TN 37232 -8774

615-936-0100
615-936-0117 (Fax)
michelle.lennon@vanderbilt.edu