Traditional medical school curricula often leave little room for exploring orthopaedics. Preclinical studies rarely emphasize orthopaedic content, and mandatory clerkship rotations in Orthopaedic Surgery are not the norm. As a result, students often miss out on early exposure to fundamental orthopaedic principles and essential practical skills. We think it’s important for medical students to have these opportunities early in their medical education.
That’s why we’ve created Underground Ortho.
For those already considering or passionate about Orthopaedic Surgery, Underground Ortho presents the opportunity to develop your interest, knowledge and skills in the field. For those who are uncertain or curious, it offers a chance to discover if orthopaedics aligns with your interests and career goals. Even if orthopaedics isn’t on your radar, gaining familiarity with common and urgent orthopaedic conditions and learning basic techniques can be invaluable across various specialties.
Explore what we’re up to, and see how we’re redefining early orthopaedic education.
We’re just getting started.
Khatra Badreldin
BA&Sc, Biomedical Mechanical Engineering MDCM Candidate, Class of 2027
Sabrina Ramdane
BSc, Major Neuroscience MDCM Candidate, Class of 2027
Official Partner
Through our partnership with the Montreal branch of Zimmer Biomet, a global medical technology leader specializing in orthopaedic innovations, Underground Ortho has succesfully been able to deliver to McGill medical students three joint hands-on and didactic workshops on Zimmer premises just outside of Old Montreal.
Workshops have centered on Zimmer’s ROSA Knee, Hip and Shoulder systems for robotic arthroplasty. Sessions begin with a presentation from the Zimmer team of the technologies on display that day, followed by a walk-through of how the technology could assist the orthopaedic surgeon in the operating room.
In Zimmer’s simulated orthopaedic OR, students had the chance to interface with ROSA and engage in hands-on use of orthopaedic surgical power tools, such as oscillating bone saws and bone drills on 3D printed bone.
Thanks to our partnership with Zimmer, McGill medical students can expect workshops to be held on a regular basis. We anticipate to expand the audience and introduce novel modalities in future sessions.
Labib-Daiyan Syed
BSc, Major Occupational Therapy MDCM Candidate, Class of 2027
Underground Ortho’s Extended Shadow Program aims to streamline shadowing in orthopaedic surgery for medical students, offer medical students a high-volume of contiguous orthopaedic OR exposures alongside a diverse team of top orthopaedic surgeons, and alleviate administrative burden of coordinating such opportunities for both staff and student.
For a given period, students will be matched with staff based on collective availabilties provided by affiliated orthopaedic surgeons and medical students that have reached out to take part in the program. Every effort will be made to ensure the process is equitable to all students and that students receive diverse exposure. Students are always encouraged to seek additional shadowing opportunities.
Several orthopaedic surgeons have preliminarily agreed to take part in the program, and we look forward to launching it this fall 2024.
If you are a medical student or orthopaedic surgeon interested in getting involved in the Extended Shadow Program reach out to us at undergroundortho@gmail.com.
Maxime Baril
Med-P MDCM Candidate, Class of 2027
Denia Hamidi
Med-P MDCM Candidate, Class of 2027
Current works
Undergraduate Orthopaedic Education: Exploring the Impact of Preclinical Canadian Medical Education on Residency Choice
Denia Hamidi1, Maxime Baril1, Demitri Evangeliou1, Lilly Groszman1
Competency in Orthopaedic Surgery: Are Medical Students Prepared to Break a Leg Upon Graduation?
Khalifa Alhojailan2, Maxime Baril, Demitri Evangeliou, Lilly Groszman, Anthony Albers1,2
From Subspecialty to Independence: The Evolution of Orthopaedic Surgery in Canada and Its Establishment at McGill University
Jessica Henderson-Tiroch1, Lilly Groszman, Demitri Evangeliou, Richard Cruess1,2, Gregory K Berry1,2
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1Y6
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
In progress…
Mark Garabedian
BSc, Major Neuroscience & Biochemistry MDCM Candidate, Class of 2026
In progress…
Lauren Cederbaum
BSc, Major Kinesiology MDCM Candidate, Class of 2027
Alexander Laskaris
BSc, Major Anatomy and Cell Biology MSc, Pathology MDCM Candidate, Class of 2026
Demitri Evangeliou
BSc, Major Microbiology & Immunology MDCM Candidate, Class of 2025
