The Vanderbilt Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is recruiting a highly-qualified medical student for a clinical research fellowship with a focus on spine research. The Lab is a collaborative, multi-department clinical research group comprised of physicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, post-doctoral students, orthopaedic and neurosurgery residents, medical students, and undergraduate students. The primary goal of our research is to improve treatment and outcomes of patients with spinal disorders requiring surgical intervention, including degenerative conditions, metastatic and primary spinal tumors, deformity/scoliosis, infection and trauma. Along with prospective analyses, the Lab leverages an institutional registry with over 10 years of patient-reported outcomes data to answer important questions related to patient outcomes after spine surgery. Our research spans from local institutional studies to multisite studies with several institutions throughout the country.
Vanderbilt Spine Outcomes Lab Mission Statement:
Under the joint leadership of the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery, our mission is to
create new knowledge and improve the
quality of care delivered in the field of spine surgery by performing high-quality clinical research, collaborating with other leading institutions, implementing our findings to improve everyday practice, and presenting our findings on a national and international stage.The applicant should demonstrate a strong academic record, creativity, problem-solving ability, drive, organization, and a willingness to learn.This funded fellowship position offers the prospect of producing and contributing to impactful research in the field of adult spine.
Ideal candidates are highly motivated medical students who are looking to boost their CV in order to match in competitive orthopedic residency programs. A competitive stipend is provided to the fellow.
To date, we have had a 100% success rate in setting up our fellowship's graduates to match into orthopaedic surgery residency. We take the mentorship process very seriously and care about your development not only as a researcher, but also as a aspiring orthopaedic surgeon.
Vanderbilt Spine Research Fellowship
Position: 1 year paid Clinical Research Fellowship in Orthopaedic Spine Surgery at the Vanderbilt University Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
Timeline: As early as May 2026 - June 2026 (1 year) or June 2026 - June 2028 (2 year)
Program Faculty: Byron Stephens MD, Amir Abtahi MD, Ray Gardocki MD, Omar Medina MD, Scott Zuckerman MD, Bayard Wilson MD, and Kristin Archer PT PhD,
Where: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN
Salary: $21-23 per hour
Unable to sponsor visas at this time. Preference will be given to US Citizens of permanent residents
How to Apply
Interested applicants should forward CV (including USMLE scores), cover letter to
[email protected] and
[email protected]
