2024-2025 MERC Musculoskeletal Research Fellowship Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Carilion Clinic is accepting applications for (3) Research Fellow positions for the 2024-25 academic year.  

The research fellowship is a developmental position, intended to teach the fellow the fundamentals of orthopaedic research and provide mentorship from practicing academic orthopaedic surgeons and orthopaedic researchers. The fellowship is structured as a minimum 1-year fellowship with a 2nd year for the candidate who requests or requires an additional year. This fellowship is an excellent time for productivity, maturation, and development.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Carilion Clinic is the largest Orthopaedic Department in Virginia with 47 physicians covering 11 sites including a level 1 trauma center. The Musculoskeletal Education and Research Center (MERC) serves as the research arm of the department of Orthopaedic Surgery.  The Department has successfully placed several prior MERC research fellows into orthopaedic residencies, with 3 fellows participating in the Match for 2024.  

This position is a paid full-time research position through Carilion Clinic in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery with a competitive salary and full benefits that allows for reasonable living in Roanoke, VA.  

Applicants are expected to be motivated for a career in orthopaedic surgery and should be otherwise strongly competitive for orthopaedic surgery residency aside from a lack of prior research experience. 

A formal research curriculum is administered by full time PhD and MD, PhD faculty. This starts early and continues over the course of the fellowship.   

Candidates will be selected based on personal attributes, including work ethic, motivation for orthopaedic surgery, and the likelihood of future success in the Match.   

At the time of starting, candidates are required to have been awarded a degree from an LCME-accredited U.S. medical school (or offered a deferment of graduation having fully completed the medical school curriculum). At this time, non-US medical school graduates and candidates with prior GME experience (any clinical internship or residency) will not be considered. To assess competitiveness for eventual entry into orthopaedic surgery residency, candidates must submit USMLE score transcripts, medical school transcripts, and letters of recommendation (or references).   

Carilion Clinic – Virginia Tech Carilion (CC-VTC) does have an orthopaedic residency and while this fellowship is housed in the same department, completion of the fellowship is not a promise or guarantee of admission into the CC-VTC residency.  

The research fellowship program director is Peter J. Apel, MD, PhD.  Inquiries may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Recruitment will begin after 9:00 AM on Monday March 11th. Based on prior years’ timelines, the positions are expected to fill by the end of the week (Friday, March 15th). Positions will be offered on a rolling basis. Candidates who accept this research fellowship position will be asked to cease pursuits of other positions upon acceptance.  

Peter J. Apel, MD PhD 

Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine 

Institute for Orthopaedics and Neurosciences 

2331 Franklin Rd SW 

Roanoke, VA 24014 

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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Please see the following videos that highlight research in our department: 

Robotic Glove Research for Brachial Plexus Patients 

When is it Safe to Drive After Rotator Cuff Surgery? 

Medicine & Research Improving Patient Care 

How the Community Impacts Research 

Also, the following links highlight the clinical aspect of the department. 

Department of Orthopaedics 

Here is the YouTube Channel for Orthopaedic Education. You will find some of our clinical educational videos:  Carilion Clinic Orthopaedic Education  

Also here is a video about Roanoke that you may find informative: 

Roanoke Region of Virginia: Work Hard, Play Hard, Live Easy 

Lastly, here is a video about the growth of Virginia Tech Carilion: 

Carilion Clinic: They Said It Couldn't Happen Here