From Research to Residency: Assistant Begins Medical School After Training Program

Viraj Deshpande is heading off to medical school soon, one of many young students the team at Hoag Orthopedics, the non-profit organization founded by the physicians of Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, sends off to careers in medicine, research and leadership. HOI expert faculty train 5 Hoag Orthopedic “fellows” annually. These top surgeons are in their final year of training, following 4 years of medical school and 5 years of orthopedic surgery residency. Their year at HOI completes subspecialty training with 2 in Sports Medicine, 2 in Total Joint Replacement and 1 in Spine surgery. As part of their curriculum, the fellows participate in orthopedic research that is aided by Hoag Ortho’s research assistants such as Viraj.

The physicians believe in Hoag Orthopedics’ mission to share their knowledge of orthopedic medicine for the good of patients everywhere and were eager to provide a rewarding environment to share their passion for orthopedics with young ambitious students like Viraj, who worked as a clinical research coordinator after college.

Viraj, from Irvine, will begin his first year as a medical student at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. Armed with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and an interest in medicine, he joined Hoag Orthopedics to immerse himself in clinical research. He proved himself with a passion for sharing knowledge, skills and commitment to advance innovation of HOI’s orthopedic surgeons with the world.

His experience at Hoag Orthopedics was more than paperwork and data collection. He visited with patients and shadowed surgeons and physicians, even observing orthopedic surgeries such as a knee replacement.

“Viraj exemplifies the type of students we attract to our many training programs,” said Vance Gardner, MD, Hoag Orthopedics. “Part of our mission is to advance the profession of orthopedics to the world, and preparing bright minds for a career in medicine underscores our vision perfectly.”

For almost two years, Viraj played an active role in research, collaborating with physicians on research projects ranging from innovative shoulder surgery techniques to medical devices, medications and infection control analysis. He co-authored 12 peer-reviewed research papers that were published in scientific journals, including first-author publications in The American Journal of Sports Medicine and The Spine Journal, alongside many HOI surgeons and physicians, a lifetime legacy.

“Hoag Orthopedics was an incubator of rigorous academic standards, clinical excellence, and mentorship that will stay with me forever in my pursuit of a career in medicine,” said Viraj. “I will cherish the people and professionalism of the team and will proudly share what I learned to pay it forward.”

Hoag Orthopedics is actively involved in clinical research and supports multiple projects with industry leaders and innovators to develop new orthopedic treatments based on scientific methodology, leading to improved patient outcomes and world-class orthopedic care.

For more information on Hoag Orthopedics, please visit www.hoagorthopedics.org