Brief OverviewThe University of California, Irvine Health, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is offering a 1-year research program aimed for 3rd or 4th year US medical students seeking a research year to gain clinical experience and research mentorship in Orthopaedics.Program Description Our program will support professional development and growth for students in order to augment their applications for orthopaedic surgery residency programs and provide mentorship for a career in academic orthopaedics. Research students will be under the guidance and mentorship of a UCI Orthopaedics faculty member to contribute to a wide range of research projects from large-scale multi-site clinical trials to retrospective clinical studies, and will have the opportunity to author multiple manuscripts and abstracts. We offer immersive training in orthopaedic care, exposing students to care in the clinical setting as well as the operating room. The research students will be engaged in educational activities to support their learning, participating in didactic lectures, grand rounds, surgical skills labs and journal clubs.As the only academic health system and Level I trauma center in Orange County, UCI Health is dedicated to the discovery of new medical frontiers, to the teaching of future healers and to bringing the finest evidence-based care to our community. Our team includes 33 faculty spanning 12 subspecialties including: Shoulder, Elbow, Hand & Wrist, Spine, Hip, Knee, Foot & Ankle, General Orthopaedics, Fractures & Trauma, Orthopaedic Oncology, Research - Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, and Sports Medicine.Learn more at https://www.uciortho.com/The successful research student will be able to work both independently and collaboratively, be self-motivated, intellectually curious, and resourceful. Students who intend to pursue a career in academic orthopaedic surgery will be best aligned with the training this program provides. Exceptional organizational and communication skills will be essential as they will be balancing multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously and will function as part of a team with attendings, fellows, residents, and research staff.Eligibility-          US Medical students or graduates.-          We will review applications from exceptional baccalaureate graduates. However, preference will be given to current medical students.Compensation-          ~$30k/yearJob Duties-          Under the mentorship of a faculty member, assist with research design, study protocol development, statistical analysis, and literature review-          Management and coordination of clinical trials including participant recruitment, informed consent, enrollment and follow-up of patients-          Conduct study regulatory documentation and procedures, such as Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission and revisions-          Drafting and submitting abstracts and manuscripts to local, national, and international conferences and journalsLocation-          On site primarily at UCI Health (Orange, CA) and partially at UC Irvine (Irvine, CA) and practice locations in Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin and Laguna Hills.Duration:-          Approx. start mid-June 2026. Some flexibility on a case-by-case basis.-          12-month program: June 2026 – May 2027Application: -          Please submit the following to Angelina Lam lamat1@hs.uci.edu cc: Dr. Gerard Slobogean gsloboge@hs.uci.edu.-          CV-          Personal statement (~500 words)-          Deadline: March 1st, 2026, 11:59PM-          Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications prescreened will be asked to complete an additional application for formal review and hiring.Keywords:Research year; research fellowship; research fellow; mentor; mentorship; clinical research; clinical trials; orthopaedic/s; ortho; orthopedic/s; trauma; surgery; traumatology; shoulder; elbow; hand; wrist; spine; hip; knee; foot; ankle; fracture/s; oncology; skeletal; muscular; muscle; sport/s; medicine; UCI; University of California; UC Irvine; Orange; Irvine; California