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Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedic Surgery Electives for Medical Students

Doctors working with and teaching residents.
 

Join us for an elective (sub-internship) at the Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. We perform close to 10,000 operations each year at six campuses. No matter which rotation you choose, you'll get an opportunity to learn from an experienced team of orthopaedic specialists.

 
 

Get Started

Choose a Rotation | Submit an Application | Get Informed

Please note that completion of a visiting sub-internship is not required to match in our residency program. Many of our current residents did not complete a visiting elective rotation with us. Although we will give your application every consideration, completion of a visiting subinternship does not automatically lead to an interview.

If you have any questions about our medical student electives, please contact Beth Hall at [email protected] or call 410-955-8344.

 

Rotations

Visiting students can select from several rotations in orthopaedic surgery for the sub-internship. Each clinical rotation is four weeks long, but it is possible to split your time between two services if there is availability. All rotating sub-intern will also get the chance to spend one day of clinic and one day of OR with the Department Chair, James Robert Ficke, M.D., if available during the rotation time.

Start dates for rotations usually follow the JHMI Academic Calendar. This will allow us to orient all students beginning that month at the same time. If you have certain reasons for starting on a specific week and are interested in rotating, please contact us and we will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

  • At the end of the rotation, you will demonstrate an understanding of the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and presentation of congenital and acquired pathologies in the pediatric population, ranging from common pathologies, injuries and infections to rare genetic syndromes.

    You will work closely with our faculty, including Paul Sponseller, M.D., the current president of the Scoliosis Research Society, R. Jay Lee, M.D., Amit Jain, M.D. and Ranjit Varghese, M.B.B.S. This rotation is at the main Johns Hopkins Hospital downtown. Sub-I’s have ample opportunity to scrub in OR and participate in clinic.

    View our team of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons.

  • After your rotation, you will demonstrate an understanding of the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and presentation of diseases related to the hand and upper extremity.

    You will work closely with our faculty, including Dawn LaPorte, M.D. and the program director, Sophie Strike, M.D.. This rotation is at the main Johns Hopkins Hospital downtown and as well as some time at the new surgical center in Green Spring Station.

    View our team of hand and upper extremity surgeons.

  • Once you have completed your rotation, you will demonstrate an understanding of the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and presentation of diseases related to the spine. You will be exposed to a multitude of cases including adult and pediatric spinal deformities, degenerative problems, tumors and trauma.

    You will work closely with our faculty, including Khaled Kebaish, M.B.B.Ch., M.S., Lee Hunter Riley, M.D., David Cohen, M.D., M.P.H, Sang Lee, M.D., Ph.D., and Amit Jain, M.D..

    View our team of spine surgeons.

  • After your rotation, you will demonstrate an understanding of the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and presentation of tumor-related diseases of bones and soft tissues.

    You will work closely with our faculty, including Adam Levin M.D., the associate program director, and Sophie Strike, M.D., who specializes in upper extremity surgical oncology. Students are expected to actively participate in outpatient clinics, inpatient care, surgery, and teaching conferences. This rotation is at the main Johns Hopkins Hospital downtown.

    View our team of orthopaedic oncologic surgeons.

  • Once you have completed your rotation, you will demonstrate an understanding of the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and presentation of traumatic injuries of the musculoskeletal system.

    You will work closely with our faculty, including Greg Osgood, M.D. and Babar Shafiq, M.D., M.S.. This rotation is at the main Johns Hopkins Hospital downtown.

    View our team of orthopaedic trauma surgeons.

  • This rotation offers exposure to our joint replacement service. At the end of your rotation, you will demonstrate an understanding of the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and presentation of joint pathologies and traumatic injuries of the musculoskeletal system. You will be exposed to mostly joint replacement and trauma as well as some foot and ankle surgery.

    You will work closely with our faculty, including Harpal Khanuja, M.D. and Julius Oni, M.D. for joint replacement and Rachel Sotsky, M.D. for trauma. This rotation is at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The Bayview campus is located 2 miles from the Johns Hopkins Hospital and there is a convenient shuttle bus between the two campuses.

  • Other services such as sports, foot and ankle, shoulder an elbow, and osseointegration are spread between different campuses and have not been conventionally offered as electives given the significant daily travel time for students. If you are interested specifically in one of those services, contact us and we will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

 

About Our Department

Painting of William Baer

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins has a rich history starting in 1900 when it was founded by Dr. William Baer at the invitation of the forefather of Hopkins’ surgery, William Halsted. As one of the original specialty services, the department has been caring for patients, fostering innovation and nurturing orthopaedic leaders for over 120 years.

Read more about our history
 

How to Apply

Everything you need to know about applying, whether you are a U.S. or international student.

  • The most popular months to take an orthopaedic surgery elective (sub-internship) are June, July, August and September. If you wish to join us during these months, early application is strongly encouraged. All applications must be received no later than two months before the start date of your sub-internship (e.g. if your desired time frame is October 1 - October 31, your application and supporting documents need to be completed and returned by August 1).

    All applications must be coordinated through the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Registrar’s Office.

    1. Please review the School of Medicine Electives Handbook and request the application form from the Registrar's Office.
    2. After completing the application form, please obtain approval and signature from Dawn LaPorte, M.D. Her office is located in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery on the 5th floor of the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (JHOC).
    3. Please submit the completed form to Ms. Dawn Timmons in the Registrar's Office (Miller Research Building, 733 N. Broadway, Suite 147).
    4. Lastly, please send an email to Beth Hall, Medical Training Programs Administrator for Orthopaedic Surgery, providing the following:
      • your name
      • contact information
      • date the registration form was submitted to the Registrar’s office
      • the dates you have requested for your Sub-Internship

  • All visiting student inquiries should be directed to Susan Scott, Visiting Student Coordinator, at [email protected]. View the Visiting Student Policy and required application forms.

    These five forms are required in order to be considered for the visiting student rotation:

    1. Clinical application form
    2. Letter of good standing from your Dean
    3. Immunization record
    4. Official transcript
    5. Confidentiality agreement

    Please submit the completed forms by mail to:

    Brooke Szydlowski
    Visiting Medical Student Coordinator
    Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
    Office of the Registrar
    Miller Research Building, Suite 147
    733 N. Broadway
    Baltimore, MD 21205

  • All visiting student inquiries should be directed to Susan Scott, Visiting Student Coordinator at [email protected]. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you can obtain the required application forms from the School of Medicine website.

    Please submit the completed forms by mail to:

    The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
    Office of the Registrar
    Edward D. Miller Research Building, Suite 147
    733 N. Broadway
    Baltimore, MD 21205

    Please ensure that the dates for which you apply are definite. Once accepted, date changes are difficult to accommodate and could result in rotation cancellation.

    If you are accepted for a clinical elective, you will receive information about housing. You will be required to purchase health insurance through the Johns Hopkins University. Foreign or travel insurances are not acceptable.

    Please understand that while Johns Hopkins is committed to teaching on a global scale, the number of international students we can accept for clinical electives is limited.

 

Visiting Student Information

Learn what to expect on your start day and beyond.

Your First Day

On your first day at Johns Hopkins, you will need to:

  1. Report to the Registrar's Office to register for your elective. The Registrar is located in the Miller Research Building, 733 N. Broadway, Suite 147.
    Non-US citizens must first check in with the Office of International Services (OIS) before registration can be completed. Please bring all required documents with you when you report to the OIS as well as a letter of good standing from your school, and follow the OIS check-in process. It is helpful for the OIS Check-in Form to be completed before reporting for check-in. Their office is located on the 2nd floor of Reed Hall, 1620 McElderry Street, Baltimore, MD. OIS hours or operation are Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The office is not open to the public on Fridays.
  2. After registration, obtain a Johns Hopkins Identification Badge from the I.D. Office, Harvey/Nelson Building, Room 108.
  3. Report to the 5th floor of the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (JHOC) to meet with Beth Hall, Medical Training Programs Administrator for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery to:
    • confirm emergency contact information form
    • get scrub training schedule and access to scrub machines
    • review Epic training record and Epic access
    • have photo taken for welcome email sent to the department

Your Last Day

Before completing your rotation, you will meet with Dr. LaPorte and/or Levin for feedback and get any questions about the program answered.

On the last day of your rotation, you will need to:

  1. Return all scrubs to the scrubs machine. Unreturned scrubs could impact availability for subsequent rotators and sub-interns. You will be charged a fee for the cost of replacement for scrubs checked out in your name that are not returned.
  2. Return your swipe card, pager and Hopkins ID badge to Beth Hall, the Medical Training Programs Coordinator.
  3. Provide your evaluation form to Beth Hall.

If you have further questions about our program and rotations, contact Beth Hall, our Medical Training Programs Administrator via email [email protected] or call 410-955-8344.

 
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