Medical Students
Hospital for Special Surgery will be using VSAS, the Visiting Student Application Service, to receive visiting student applications for the 2018-2019 academic year. Applications may be submitted through VSAS starting on March 1, 2018. To apply to our institution, please complete and send us a VSAS application for your preferred electives and dates.
For more information on our visiting student electives, please contact academictraining@hss.edu. For more information on VSAS, please visit www.aamc.org/vsas.
Medical Student Electives
Through its affiliation with Weill Cornell Medical College, Hospital for Special Surgery offers clinical electives for students in their fourth year of medical school. Electives are available in the following areas:
Foot and Ankle Service
The student will be exposed to the complex and growing field of foot and ankle orthopedics. He/She shall attend the adult foot and ankle clinic and surgery on the foot ankle service. The student will attend rounds on the in-patient and attend the foot and ankle conference on Thursday morning. A foot and ankle review syllabus will be provided. The student will work in the operating room as well as the clinic with the close supervision of the physicians. Research projects are numerous and available to the student if so desired. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Hand Surgery
The student will participate both in the in-patient and out-patient services of nine academic hand surgical attendings. The student will have the opportunity to workup patients with a wide variety of complex conditions involving the upper extremity, including congenital, traumatic, degenerative, neoplastic, vascular, acquired and metabolic diseases. The student will participate in the in-patient service with responsibility for a number of postoperative patients. A wide variety of upper extremity surgery including arthroscopic, degenerative and post-traumatic elbow, limb-sparing tumor, pediatric and cerebral palsy, micro-vascular and nerve reconstruction will be available for student participation. It is expected that the student will workup and present a case-based didactic session at one of our weekly hand conferences. The student may participate in any of the varied clinical or bench research projects currently under way on the Hand service. Students need to contact the resident on service in the weeks before the course begins. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Limb Lengthening
This is a two or four week clinical elective on the Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction Service at HSS. The student will obtain exposure to limb lengthening and reconstruction surgery through participation in clinic, operating room, and in weekly conferences. There is a preoperative planning conference on Monday and a core topic conference on Thursday. The student will be evaluated by the quality of their participation in the clinical program and the quality of a presentation at conference. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Metabolic Bone Disease and Orthopaedic Oncology
The student will be assigned to the Metabolic Bone Disease/Orthopedic Oncology Service. The student will participate in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease, renal osteodystrophy, hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis and gain and understanding of both benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors ad tumor-like conditions, perform clinical research related to the bone disorders and orthopedic oncology. *Co-sponsors: Robert Schneider, MD, Douglas Mintz, MD, Edward DiCarlo, MD and Linda Russell, MD. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Musculoskeletal Pathology
The emphasis in this elective is to achieve the closest correlation between the clinical, radiologic and pathogenic findings in musculoskeletal disease. The student will actively participate in work of the Pathology Department and in conferences organized jointly with the Radiology Department. It is hoped that the student selected will participate in one of the ongoing clinical research projects in the Department of Pathology. This elective should be especially interesting to anyone considering orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, or pathology as a career. Please note: visiting students must apply directly to HSS. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Orthopaedic Biomechanics And Biomaterials Research
This elective is intended to provide the student the opportunity to participate in ongoing or original research projects dealing with biomechanics and biomaterials related topics in orthopaedic surgery. The elective takes place in the Biomechanics Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery and is also intended to expose the student to basic engineering principle as they impact the musculoskeletal system. Specific research areas include joint and spine mechanics, design and performance of orthopaedic implants, mechanical properties of bone, analysis of retrieved orthopaedic implants, mechanical adaptation of bone, fracture healing, and cartilage tissue engineering. Students participating in research under this heading must submit an ‘Independent Course’ form describing the specific project with which they will be involved in academic credit for research. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Orthopaedic Trauma
The student will participate on the orthopedic trauma service at HSS. He/She will participate in rounds with the residents, fellows and attendings, the operating rooms and daily clinical conferences. In addition the student will attend Dr. Helfet’s trauma clinic. The student will have the opportunity to learn and possibly become involved in multiple ongoing research projects. This elective will permit the student to obtain an overall picture of orthopedic trauma surgery with subspecialty emphasis on the more complex acute articular fractures (Pelvis, Acetabulum, Hip, Shoulder, Elbow, Knee and Ankle), multiorthopedic trauma, complex long bone fractures and the late sequelae of orthopedic trauma (nonunions, malunions, infection). It will also permit the students to appreciate the research potential, both clinical and basic, that exists in orthopedic surgery, specifically related to trauma. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Pediatric Orthopaedics
The student will be exposed to the wide field of pediatric orthopedics. He/she shall attend the Cerebral Palsy Clinic, and Osteogenesis Clinic, Scoliosis Clinic, Club Foot Clinic and General Pediatric Orthopedic Clinic. The student will attend rounds on the Children’s in-patient service, be expected to participate in the patient care, and be required to work up patients and present them at rounds. In addition, he/she shall be expected to participate in the children’s conference on Monday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. The student will assist in the operating room and will work under the close supervision of the sponsor. Selected research projects are available for the student to participate in if he/she so desires. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Rheumatology
The various components of the rotation include outpatient and inpatient care for rheumatic disease patients, care of patients on the rheumatology consultative service, and lectures meant to provide a basic understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of rheumatic disease. Outpatient exposure is through 3 morning sessions/week in the 1) general arthritis 2) inflammatory arthritis and 3) lupus clinics. Clinic responsibilities include the initial evaluations of outpatients, appropriate referral for lab and radiology testing and follow up care of regular returning patients. Following each clinic there is a conference where discussion of medical management takes place. Inpatient exposure is through inpatient admissions to the HSS service of patients with primary rheumatic diseases. Educational opportunities include participation in various lectures and conferences, including:
- Chief's Rounds: Presentation of 1 inpatient for discussion of treatment/management with fellows and medical residents
- Journal Club: Review of pertinent recent rheumatology literature by rotating members of the department
- Rheumatology Grand Rounds: Weekly lecture by a distinguished guest speaker on a topic related to immunity, inflammation, etc
- Daily lectures on rheumatic disease topics: 1-2 lectures are given daily by HSS attending faculty specifically directed at introductory understand of rheumatic diseases.
NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Skeletal Radiology
Students will observe imaging examinations and interpretations on patients who predominantly have orthopedic or rheumatic diseases. This will include primarily plain film radiographs, but also CT examinations, MRI, ultrasound, and image guided procedures in the musculoskeletal system. Students should attend the daily 7:30 am orthopedic resident conferences and are expected to attend the daily afternoon HSS radiology resident/fellow conferences. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Spinal Deformities
The student will be exposed to both children and adults who are being managed for scoliosis and other spinal deformities. Associated conditions include neuromuscular disorders, connective tissue conditions (Marfan’s Ehlers-Danlos), congenital conditions and various other conditions. The student will work closely with Orthopaedic Residents on the service as well as the Fellows. The inpatient service experiences will include surgical procedures such as spine fusions, spinal instrumentation, anterior spinal approaches, excision of discs, decompression of nervous tissue, and resection or tumors of the spine. The outpatient experiences will include conferences, revisit clinics and new clinics in scoliosis, spinal disorders, and other related spinal problems. The student will be encouraged to participate in spinal surgery, work-up patients and present cases at Rounds. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Sports Medicine
Evaluations of athletic injuries, clinically related studies on different sports, and clinical problems in encouraged. We like each student to participate in clinics and doctor’s office hours, surgery, psychomotor skill labs, and conferences. Students are expected to make a presentation at morning Sports conference during their elective. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.
Surgical Arthritis
The student will take an active role in the surgical evaluation and treatment of patients with arthritis disorders both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. The student will be an integral part of the inpatient and ambulatory Surgical Arthritis Service participating in the conferences which are attended by Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, and other health care personnel. The elective will provide the student extensive exposure to lower and upper extremity reconstructive procedures. The student will be encouraged to participate in research projects. NOTE: ONLY FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIVES AT HSS.