Bone Academy
Mission Statement
BONE Academy's mission is to introduce high school students to careers in orthopedic surgery and empower them to imagine themselves as part of the health care team. We work with school districts in the San Diego region that rank lower in environmental and socioeconomic factors on the California Health Places Index.
Every spring and fall, faculty, staff and trainees from the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery rotate local high school students through hands-on orthopedic activities in their classrooms. Students practice splinting, sawbones, ultrasound and suturing.
Our outreach efforts highlight a range of career opportunities including certified orthopedic technician, administrator, surgeon, physician, financial analyst, research scientist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, athletic trainer, occupational therapist/physical therapist and more.
Who We Are
We are a volunteer group of UC San Diego School of Medicine staff, medical professionals and post-medical school trainees passionate about making careers in orthopedic surgery accessible to all students.
BONE Academy started in 2023 through the efforts of Brendon Mitchell, M.D., an alumnus of the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the support of Orthopaedic Surgery staff. Since its launch, BONE Academy has reached 800 students in San Diego County.
Read Article: BONE Academy Encourages Students to Pursue Careers in Orthopedicssupport our work
Your donation helps us bring careers in orthopedic surgery to young students across San Diego County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students learn from physicians, medical students, residents, fellows, technicians, and other members of the orthopedic healthy team with BONE Academy. Each of our volunteers is excited to introduce students to careers in orthopedic surgery.
Participating students in BONE Academy learn and practice the techniques behind skills used in real healthcare settings. These include suturing, using ultrasound, operating on model bones, and splinting and casting.
We are currently focusing on honing our programs at select San Diego-area high schools and are not expanding to other institutions. We look forward to connecting with new partners in the future. If you would like to help us in our mission to bring careers in orthopedic surgery to students of all backgrounds, please consider making a monetary donation or donating your expired but usable medical teaching supplies to BONE Academy at 9444 Medical Center Drive Suite 3-084 MC#7894 La Jolla, CA 92037. For questions, please contact boneacademy@health.ucsd.edu.
Yes! Please write to boneacademy@health.ucsd.edu with a brief description of your interests in orthopedic surgery.
Participants get to experience the technique of suturing, using ultrasound, working with sawbones and splinting and casting.
Disclaimer: The BONE Academy does not consider race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories as part of the application and/or selection process.