Gap Year Program

About the program

The Division of Orthopedic Surgery Research offers a paid 12-month gap year clinical research training position for second-year and third-year medical students.

The Orthopedic Surgery Medical Student Research Gap Year Program is an exciting opportunity for highly motivated students to strengthen their applications for the Orthopedic Surgery Match. The program is located at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Students in the Gap Year Program train under consultant mentors in the Division of Orthopedic Surgery Research in one of nine division focus areas:

• Foot and ankle.
• Hand and wrist.
• Hip and knee arthroplasty.
• Orthopedic Surgery Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
• Pediatric orthopedics.
• Shoulder and elbow surgery.
• Spine.
• Sports medicine.
• Trauma.

Third-year students participate in a one-month clinical clerkship rotation in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the end of their year. All students also attend weekly didactic sessions in various disciplines within orthopedic surgery to develop a strong foundation of knowledge.

The Gap Year Program includes a stipend of $20,000. Students also can apply for a competitive short-term appointment with the division's NIH T32 training grant, which offers more funding.

A note from our medical director

For more than 15 years, our Orthopedic Surgery Medical Student Research Gap Year Program has given aspiring surgeons a rare opportunity: the chance to train alongside leading clinicians, researchers and educators at one of the nation's premier academic medical centers.

What sets this program apart is its all-encompassing approach, allowing students to better explore and understand clinical practice, research and education. Students don't just observe. They immerse themselves in clinical settings, contribute to meaningful research and follow a structured curriculum built specifically to support their growth as future physicians. Along the way, they form lasting relationships with faculty, residents, fellows and fellow students who become part of their professional network for years to come.

The impact lasts well beyond the program itself. Many alumni credit the mentorship and curriculum that they received here as a defining influence on their success in medical school, residency and beyond. We're proud to offer the next generation of orthopedic surgeons that same strong foundation that can be used for years to come.

3 key program features

While most gap year research programs teach medical students the basics of orthopedic surgery research, there are three key features that make the Mayo Clinic Orthopedic Surgery Medical Student Research Gap Year Program stand out.

1. Emphasis on mentorship

Our students are not here just to do research. They also learn how to become better physicians, scientists and leaders. Regularly scheduled meetings and mentorship with the individual division program directors and faculty members are a main focus of the fellowship experience.

2. Single application match process

Nine orthopedic surgery division focus areas participate in the Gap Year Program, all based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Rather than having applicants apply to all nine areas separately, the program requires only a single application.

Applicants submit a list ranking their preferred divisions. After reviewing all the applications, the program directors also submit a rank list. Then a match is performed that is similar to that of an orthopedic surgery residency. This process gives applicants the ability to be considered by all divisions while prioritizing their individual interests.

3. Orthopedic and leadership curriculum

To highlight our focus on education, leadership and mentorship, we have created a robust orthopedic research and leadership curriculum for the program. This curriculum is structured around four pillars:

• Research.
• Leadership.
• Mentorship.
• Surgical skills.

During the year, all students in the Gap Year Program collectively participate in group sessions that are led by current Mayo Clinic orthopedic faculty members.

The orthopedic research and leadership curriculum includes:

Basics of Research

• "Orthopedic Research Infrastructure and Resources at Mayo Clinic."
• "Preparing and Submitting Institutional Review Board (IRB) Documentation."
• "IRB Workshop."
• "Making the Most of Your Research Year."
• "The Proper Way to Write a Research Paper."
• "Research Statistics for Orthopedics Part I."
• "Creating a Research Database and Spreadsheet."
• "Research Statistics for Orthopedics Part II."
• "Presenting Research at a Scientific Meeting."
• "Research Statistics for Orthopedics Part III."

Personal Leadership

• "Growth Mindset: Setting the Stage Mentally Is the First Step."
• "Productivity: Taking Control of Your Time and Life."
• "Extreme Ownership: Why It's All Up to You."
• "Synergistic Teamwork: Why Life Is a Team Sport."

Orthopedic Career-Based Mentorship

• "How To Get Into Ortho Residency."
• "How To Be an Excellent Rotating Medical Student."
• "How To Ace Your Residency Interviews."
• "How To Be an Ideal Orthopedic Surgery Resident."

Surgical Skills

• "Casting."
• "Knot Tying."
• "Suturing."

Other events

• Program kickoff social hour and dinner.
• End-of-year presentations and awards.

Application requirements

Applicants for the Gap Year Program must:

• Be second-year or third-year medical students at a U.S. medical school and interested in pursuing an orthopedic surgery residency.
• Have successfully completed preclinical course requirements and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1.
• Be in good academic standing.
• Have excellent organizational and communication skills.

Applications must include:

• Curriculum vitae.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Personal statement.
• USMLE Step 1 score report, if applicable.
• Medical school transcript.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this program.

Apply here for the 2027-2028 Orthopedic Surgery Medical Student Research Gap Year Program.

Applications are accepted from Nov. 9, 2026, to Dec. 18, 2026, at 5 p.m. Central time. The selection committee will contact accepted applicants in late December 2026 or early January 2027 to schedule an interview. Interviews will be held via Zoom during the first three weeks of January.

Life in Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota, serves as a premier medical destination with an exciting energy of innovation and hope. We invite you to explore Rochester and learn more about Mayo Clinic.

Past fellows

• Robinson Okolo, 2026-2027
• Shiv Lamba, 2026-2027
• Trent Agee, 2026-2027
• Kyle Polanco, 2026-2027
• Patrick Bidros, 2026-2027
• Natasha Strump, 2026-2027
• Alyssa Baginski, 2026-2027
• Levi Coon, 2026-2027
• Caroline Taylor, 2026-2027
• David Persaud, 2026-2027
• Sahand Fallahi, 2026-2027
• Michael Abdou, 2025-2026
• Rana Ahmad, 2025-2026
• Rakan Alshaibi, 2025-2026
• Rohan Charles, 2025-2026
• Elsa F. Diaw, 2025-2026
• Blake Padgett, 2025-2026
• Katrina A. Pfaffenbach, 2025-2026
• Paolla M. Rullan Oliver, 2025-2026
• Sandeep R. Yanamala, 2025-2026
• Megan Anderson, 2024-2025
• Leilani Garayua Cruz, 2024-2025
• Adrian Gonzalez-Bravo, 2024-2025
• Sanathan Iyer, 2024-2025
• Louis Kang, 2024-2025
• Ria Paradkar, 2024-2025
• Emil Varas, 2024-2025
• Amanda Vazquez-Lloret, 2024-2025
• Gavin Ward, 2024-2025
• Sean Clark, 2023-2024
• Ankur Khanna, 2023-2024
• Kong Pan, 2023-2024
• Karissa Simon, 2023-2024
• Alexander Boos, 2022-2023
• Nick Kuttner, 2022-2023
• Abhinav Lamba, 2022-2023
• Allen Wang, 2022-2023