The Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Children’s Mercy Hospital is offering a one-year, funded research fellowship designed for medical students or unmatched medical graduates with an interest in orthopedic surgery.
Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics of Kansas City is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in pediatric orthopedic patient care, education, and basic and clinical research. This tertiary-care hospital is the only pediatric Level I Trauma Center in the Kansas City area and boasts a catchment area spanning hundreds of miles including Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas. The hospital is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report across multiple subspecialties. Our growing Department of Orthopedics currently has 12 pediatric surgeons, 5 non-operative sports medicine and general musculoskeletal physicians, and one pediatric sports medicine fellow, as well as 28 advanced practice practitioners. All disciplines, including general orthopedics, trauma, sports medicine, upper extremity, spine, hip, limb lengthening and deformity, cerebral palsy, and neuromuscular care are represented. Our research program currently hosts over 50 various prospective and retrospective clinical studies. We have close collaborative relationships with the UMKC School of Medicine, UMKC Dental School, KU Medical School, KCUMB and KU Lawrence School of Engineering.
This program will give students the opportunity to work directly with faculty members and orthopedic surgery residents to gain exposure to pediatric orthopedics, mentorship and guidance for residency applications, and practical experience in clinical and basic science research endeavors to aide in building foundational skills to become a successful clinician scientist.
Opportunities
- Receive direct mentorship from orthopedic faculty
- Gain practical experience in the formulation, execution, and presentation of a variety of successful research types across each research Level of Evidence tier
- Present research at regional and national orthopedic conferences
- Network with orthopedic surgery residents (from UMKC, KU, and KCU), fellows, and attending surgeons
- Participate in departmental didactics, grand rounds, journal clubs, and guest lectureships
- Obtain experience that supports the student to enter competitive orthopedic surgery residency programs.
- Learn to teach research methodology to medical students and residents
- Develop lifelong learning and curiosity.
- Grow your clinical knowledge base through continued involvement in the delivery of orthopedic care Additionally, it’s important to us that we remain transparent with all potential job candidates. Because we value the safety of the patients and families we serve, as well as the Children’s Mercy staff, we want to let you know that the seasonal influenza vaccine is a condition of employment for all employees in our organization. New employees must be willing to be vaccinated if found non-immune to measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and chicken pox (varicella) and/or without evidence of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination since 2005. If you are selected for this position, you will be asked to supply your immunization records as proof of vaccination. If you and have any concerns about receiving these vaccines, medical and/or religious exemptions can be further discussed with Human Resources.Responsibilities -Be organized
- Maintain clear, timely communication with faculty and residents
- Allocate 50% of time to spine research and 50% to general pediatric orthopedic research within the department
- Actively participate in 10-15 projects and author/co-author a minimum of 5 research manuscripts, abstracts, or posters/podiums over the course of the year.
- Draft and submit IRB protocols for new research projects
- Recruit and obtain informed consent from patients/families for prospective research projects
- Manage data entry for involved research projects. Collect, organize, and analyze data using multiple software platforms (REDCap, Excel, SPSS, GraphPad Prism)
- Draft manuscripts for publication
- Work closely with Department Research Coordinator(s)
- Participate in monthly research/QI meetings with Director of Research and research personnel.
- Mentor medical students and assist residents in their research endeavors
- Serve as a member of the Department Research Committee to keep track of ongoing department research and critically review new research proposals for areas of improvement.
Qualifications- Medical students from allopathic or osteopathic medical schools who have, at a minimum, completed their first year of medical school and are in good standing
- Unmatched 4th year medical students and medical school graduates
- Willingness to relocate to Kansas City for the duration of the 12-month research year (May 2026 – May 2027). Start and end dates are somewhat flexible according to the needs of the individual applicant but should last a minimum of 12 months.
- Ability to meet all roles and requirements of the job with reasonable accommodations for disability or illness -Apply to position-https://jobs-childrensmercykc.icims.com/jobs/36907/student-research-assistant/job?mode=view&mobile=false&width=701&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-360&jun1offset=-300
- Cover Letter/Letter of Interest
- STEP Score (As Available)
- Medical School Transcripts
- CV
- 1-2 Letters of Recommendation
The successful applicant will be motivated, energetic, intellectually curious, diverse in experiences of community service and leadership and work well with a team. They should possess an interest in orthopedic surgery with an ability to work independently and efficiently.
Application Timeline
Deadline for submission of application materials is 1200h CST/1500h EST on Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Virtual interviews will begin after 1300h on Wednesday, March 18, and continue through the morning of Thursday, March 19th. We will select a candidate by Thursday, March 19th so unselected applicants can seek other research positions or seek a match through the SOAP. Candidates who are not selected will be notified by email the evening of March 19th.
Please send additional requirements for application to :
Julie Aust
Senior Talent Recruiter
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
