• Medical Students

Medical Students

The UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is committed to helping you explore the field, discover your interests, and develop the skills to make a lasting impact. We foster a collaborative, inclusive environment that promotes curiosity, discovery, innovation and a standard of excellence.

 Whether you're just beginning to explore orthopaedics or are pursuing a career in the field, UCSF offers unmatched opportunities to learn from world-class experts. Our faculty, a diverse group committed to advancing patient care, are dedicated educators, mentors and researchers who will guide you at every stage of your career. 

For fourth-year medical students, we invite you to apply for our Sub-I program to gain hands-on clinical experience, to work with our faculty, and to connect with our residency program. San Francisco is a dynamic global city, and UCSF stands a leader in medical education and clinical expertise. 

We look forward to supporting your journey toward a rewarding career in orthopaedics!

Important dates, deadlines and contact information

The UCSF Visiting Student Clerkship program begins on June 2, 2025. For any questions, please contact Medical Student Coordinator Dan Peterson: dan.peterson@ucsf.edu.

The 2025 academic year program is as follows:

  • Rising 4th-Year Medical Students: Applications are open now.
  • Application Review: UCSF and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will begin processing applications after March 31, 2025.

Rotation Blocks:

  • June 2–29, 2025
  • June 30–July 27, 2025
  • July 28–August 24, 2025
  • September 1–28, 2025
  • September 29–October 26, 2025

Apply: Visiting Elective Scholarship Program

UCSF encourages students from diverse backgrounds to apply for visiting electives. The Visiting Elective Scholarship Program (VESP) provides financial assistance to fourth-year medical students who are underrepresented in medicine and/or have demonstrated a commitment to working with underserved populations and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Awardees receive $2,000 to help offset the costs of the visiting elective. We encourage you to review available electives for both visiting and current UCSF medical students. To apply: Apply for a UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery visiting elective on VSAS (now open); submit your VESP application; all applications are due by May 15, 2025. Awardees will be notified after this date.

Apply to Visiting Elective Scholarship Program (VESP)

Browse: Orthopaedic Electives

We encourage you to review available electives for both visiting and current UCSF medical students.

Browse current electives

Join: Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Group (OSIG)

The Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Group (OSIG) coordinates activities to connect, educate and collaborate with students interested in orthopaedic surgery. Our goal is to provide opportunities such as courses, lunchtime lectures, socials and information sessions, while also helping connect you with faculty and residents in the department based on your interests. The 2025 OSIG coordinators are Tim Wu (tim.wu@ucsf.edu) and Hailey Johnson (hailey.johnson@ucsf.edu). Join our email list to learn more! Send us your request to OSIG@ucsf.edu.

OSIG@ucsf.edu