Orthopaedic Trauma Institute Internship Program
2540 23rd Street, 
Bldg 7, 3rd Floor, Rm 3110 
San Francisco, CA 94110
orthotraumainstitute@gmail.com

 

Mission Statement

The Orthopaedic Trauma Institute Summer Internship Program at UCSF is dedicated to inspiring and training the next generation of physician–scientists in the field of orthopaedics. Through immersive, structured research and close mentorship from faculty and trainees, students gain hands-on experience in clinical research, exposure to orthopaedic subspecialties, and insight into the full spectrum of musculoskeletal care. 

Our program provides a unique opportunity to students to help them engage in every facet of orthopaedics: including participating in research, observing patient care in the clinic and operating room, and attending morning trauma conferences. By integrating education, mentorship, and discovery, we aim to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong commitment to advancing orthopaedic science and patient care.

Program Description

Under the direction of Dr. Meir Marmor, the Orthopaedic Trauma Institute (OTI) Research Internship at UCSF offers a highly selective and immersive opportunity for motivated students to explore the field of orthopaedic surgery through the lens of clinical research. Hosted at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, the program runs during the summer (June–August, 6–12 weeks) or throughout the academic year. Due to limited capacity, only a portion of all applicants can be accommodated each cycle. 

Interns are thoughtfully matched with one or more principal investigators, who are experienced OTI faculty surgeons and scientists, based on research interests and background. Our faculty are deeply committed to mentorship and provide guidance in areas including retrospective and systematic reviews, biomechanical analyses, data science (analysis of large data bases) and more. Depending on the scope of their project, students may work with one or multiple PIs or research teams across the department. 
In addition, interns will learn about the fundamentals of clinical research, including conducting literature reviews, generating study designs, evaluating ethical considerations, and manuscript preparation. 

Beyond research, interns gain broad exposure to the practice of orthopaedics by shadowing faculty members in clinic and the operating room, and by participating in educational conferences, journal clubs, and on occasion, cadaveric lab sessions. This structured, mentored experience is designed to help students develop fundamental research skills, explore various orthopaedic subspecialties, and cultivate the mindset of a physician–scientist. 

Please note:  This is an unpaid internship that does not provide stipends, payments, or housing. Under the current UCSF/ZSFG policy interns are not permitted to have patient contact for research, or access to medical records/identifiable patient information.

Areas of Research

Interns have the opportunity to engage with faculty whose expertise spans the full spectrum of orthopaedic surgery, including but not limited to: 
-Data Science: Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, simulation 
-Biomechanical Research: Biomechanics testing, finite element analysis 
-Digital Health: Wearable devices, motion capture, ultrasound
- Spine Surgery: traumatic, degenerative, deformity, tumor, and infection-related conditions; complex and minimally invasive techniques 
- Upper Extremity and Hand Surgery: shoulder, elbow, hand, and microvascular reconstruction 
- Orthopaedic Trauma and Reconstruction: pelvic and acetabular fractures, limb reconstruction, malunions, nonunions, and complex fracture repair 
- Clinical Research: outcomes studies, epidemiology, and innovation in surgical techniques, imaging and injury classifications