Horizon Health Provides IU Students with Hands-On Surgery Experience

Horizon Health is providing Indiana University medical students with valuable, hands-on surgical experience that they normally wouldn’t get until later in their careers.

Dr. Jeff Bollenbacher, orthopedic surgeon & sports medicine physician, recently provided surgical training for 24 first-year medical students at IU School of Medicine—Terre Haute. Students performed a total knee replacement on a cadaver at the school’s anatomy department.

“It is a very well received learning opportunity for the medical students,” said Peter Duong, PhD, professor of anatomy, cell biology & physiology at IU-Terre Haute. “We are grateful to Dr. Bollenbacher's dedication to teaching future physicians.”

Dr. Bollenbacher was assisted by clinical coordinator Luke Blake using surgical instruments and implant devices provided by Horizon Health.

“We’re a teaching hospital for IU medical students,” Dr. Bollenbacher said. “This training gives them an understanding of orthopedic surgery and the clinical applications for what they are doing.”

Dr. Bollenbacher has provided the training for the past 20 years through an agreement with IU School of Medicine. The program restarted October 2 after a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s fun to teach medical students,” Dr. Bollenbacher said. “They don’t normally see this type of training until their second or third year of medical school at the earliest. I never got to see a total knee replacement until orthopedic residency.”