OverviewThe Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care Orthopaedic Value-Based Health Care Fellowship gives medical students an extraordinary opportunity to learn about and investigate topics relevant to value based health care payment and delivery models through first-hand exposure to the UT Health Austin Musculoskeletal Institute. The Institute provides an innovative, multidisciplinary, team-based approach to delivering musculoskeletal care for a wide range of patients including vulnerable, high needs and underserved populations.The Fellow will work with Department faculty on research projects related to the design, implementation, and dissemination of value-based care models, outcome measurement (including the effect of interventions on patient-reported outcomes), costs of care, impact of psychosocial aspects in musculoskeletal illness, advances in shared-decision making and patient-provider engagement, and the application of digital health solutions. FacultyThe Fellow will work directly with several leaders in healthcare delivery innovation, including:

• Kevin Bozic, MD, MBA, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
• Karl Koenig, MD, MS, Professor and Executive Director of the Musculoskeletal Institute
• John Wickman, MD, MBA, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Perioperative Care

Key responsibilities and fellowship features

1. Research: Core research duties include development of research protocols, management of Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications, patient recruitment in the Musculoskeletal Institute’s Lower Extremity Integrated Practice Unit (IPU), data collection, and dissemination through abstracts, presentations and manuscripts for multiple publications. The Fellow will serve as the lead researcher in the Lower Extremity IPU (2.5 days/week), supervising undergraduate and medical student volunteers in patient recruitment and data collection.
2. Strategy and Operations: Acquire invaluable insights into the strategic planning and clinical / operational needs of the organization through attending business and management meetings and becoming involved in operational projects as appropriate.
3. Educational Opportunities and Networking
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4. Immersion Program. The Fellow will participate in our quarterly Musculoskeletal Institute Immersion Program in Value-Based Health Care, which hosts up to two dozen visitors including a variety of leading stakeholders in orthopaedics and beyond from around the country. The program provides comprehensive insight into our value-based musculoskeletal care delivery model over two half-days of presentations and interactive sessions and ample opportunity for networking and deep discussions.
5. AAOS Annual Meeting. The Department will support the Fellow’s attendance at the AAOS Annual Meeting.
6. Grand Rounds. The Fellow will be able to attend Grand Rounds and other clinical conferences.

[*]Clinical: Exposure to clinical care of patients and surgical practices through shadowing faculty in clinical activities (operating room, hospital, and outpatient clinic). While the Fellow will be most integrated with our Musculoskeletal Institute team, opportunities exist for shadowing and research in other surgical specialties within the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care based on the Fellow’s interests. He/she will have ample opportunities to interact with orthopaedic surgery residents as well as other residents and students in the Department and throughout Dell Medical School. [/list] Compensation Salary: $35,568 plus benefits. Read more about UT Austin’s employee benefits here. Eligibility The applicant must be accepted to or enrolled in medical school at the time of application. Required: Strong critical thinking skills; highly motivated; able to work well independently and in teams; strong written/verbal communication and organizational skills; basic understanding of statistics. Preferred: Demonstrated interest in value-based health care; experience carrying out research projects through publication; completion of core clinical clerkships (e.g. current third-year medical student); experience making PowerPoint presentations; proficiency with data analysis; fluency in Spanish.  Timeline The Fellowship will be from approximately July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, although there is some flexibility in the dates. The deadline for applications is January 12, 2026. Virtual interviews will be conducted with finalists, and we plan to fill the position by March 1st. How to Apply Please submit your CV (with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores, if applicable), a one-page cover letter, and list of three references via the application portal. If available, please include a sample of previous work (PowerPoint presentations, published research, data analysis, etc.).If you have any questions about the position or application process, please contact Lauren Uhler, MPH, Associate Director of Research, at lauren.uhler at austin.utexas.edu. Learn More For more information, please visit our website  https://dellmed.utexas.edu/education/academics/additional-training-programs/orthopaedic-value-based-health-care-fellowship