Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation

Mike DiCosmo 2028

Hometown: New Canaan, CT

Undergraduate school: Colby College

Medical school: University of Connecticut

Degree (s): BA Biochemistry, MD

Hobbies: hiking, snowboarding, pickleball, the Dallas cowboys and New York Mets

Things you should know about UVM residency:

"One thing you should know about UVM residency: You will not find a better combination of positive residency culture, ample learning opportunities, and things to do outside of work anywhere else."

Jason Brant 2027

Hometown: Wheatland, WY

Undergraduate School: University of Wyoming

Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University

Degrees: BS, MD

Hobbies: Hiking, skiing, dancing, playing the guitar, and petting cows

One thing you should know about UVM residency: The size and location of this residency is everything. You get to know many people throughout the hospital and being a hospital covering patients from a large region, you stay busy and learn a lot. Burlington is also a great place to live with many outdoor activities.

Seth Moffatt 2026

Hometown: Singapore; Rabat, Morocco

Undergraduate School: Michigan State University

Medical School: Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Degrees: BS, MD

Hobbies: urban farming, scuba diving, wood working, D&D/roleplaying, board games, travel

Things you should know about UVM residency:
 “UVM offers the best of both training worlds in being an academic, tertiary care system that also has a strong community connection. The smaller size allows you to really get to know not just your team, but people from every department across specialties. Vermont itself offers so much opportunity to live local and be a part of an incredibly caring community.”

Shawn Best 2025

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fl

Undergraduate school: Harvard

Medical school: Stanford

Degree (s): BA, MD

Hobbies: music, snowboarding, tennis, travel

Things you should know about UVM residency:

"Of all the places I interviewed, UVM stood out as the program where the residents seemed the closest-knit. Having been here a few months now, reality has more than matched my initial impression".

Michael Danaher 2024

Hometown: Apalachin, NY

Undergraduate school: Binghamton University ‘09-13

Teach For America, Mississippi Delta ‘13-15

Medical school: Upstate Medical University ‘15-19

Degree (s): BA Biology, MD

Hobbies: baseball, basketball, college football, skiing, drone photography, and the Buffalo Bills

Things you should know about UVM residency:

"UVM is the type of place where you will be treated with dignity and you can grow in a positive environment."

Manoj Goud 2028

Hometown: Palos Verdes, California

Undergraduate school: University of Southern California

Medical school: New York Medical College

Degree (s): BS Human Biology, MD

Hobbies: Flying, Working Out, Premier League Soccer, Formula 1, College Football

One thing you should know about UVM residency:

"Out of all of the places where I interviewed, UVM stood out because of the faculty and residents. The faculty value education and are very approachable, and the residents really are one big family both inside and outside the hospital. As interns, we get protected ortho didactic time weekly (even when we are off service), which includes time with attendings where we get to learn about specific orthopedic topics and develop our skills in the saw bones lab. Also, Burlington and the surrounding area has plenty of amazing breweries and restaurants to check out."

Mitch Gray 2027Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN

Undergrad: Indiana University Bloomington 

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Degrees: BA Biochemistry, MD

Hobbies: Snow Skiing, Kiteboarding, Surfing, Sailing, Cycling, Cooking, Tennis

I was looking for a program that had a close-kit group of residents motivated and excited to learn from each other. I certainly have found that here at UVM. All of our residents and faculty have been inviting from the start and are obviously invested in learning together as a team. One thing I didn’t realize was so important was our strong relationship with the off-service departments, I’ve met great friends and learned so much from my time on the general surgery services! Plus there is lots of fun things to explore within an hour of downtown Burlington during all seasons.

Warren Nielsen 2026

Hometown: Lake Oswego, Oregon

Undergraduate school: Chapman University

Medical school: Oregon Health and Science University

Degree (s): BS in Athletic Training; MD

Hobbies: trail running, ice hockey, fly fishing, cooking, and surfing

Things you should know about UVM residency:
"It’s a fun and tight knit group of people, where the small size promotes accountability in our education. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, we had some hubris with regards to greenery and outdoor activities, but Vermont has exceeded our expectations."

Jordan Conroy 2025

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Undergraduate school: Carleton College, Grand Canyon University

Medical school: Case Western Reserve University

Degree (s): BS -Biology, MS -Applied Anatomy, MD

Hobbies: sports, grilling, space, spending time with my wife and our pugs

One thing you should know about UVM residency:

"When on the general surgery months of intern year there is protected time for ortho education to immediately start building that foundation".

Hailee Reist 2024

Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Undergraduate school: Wartburg College

Medical school: University of Iowa

Degree (s): BA Math, MD

Hobbies: hiking, biking, running, cooking, smiling

Things you should know about UVM residency:

"Since we are a smaller program, so get to know everyone in the program and the hospital pretty well. We are friends with other specialties which leads to good relationships both at work and outside of work. We get to know the attendings well too, which is helpful for allowing independence in the OR as well as for lifelong connections.  In Vermont, you are living in a wilderness vacation spot, so any outdoor hobby you can think of (skiing, hiking, sailing, mountain biking, etc.) is within less than a 30-45 minute drive (if not walkable from your front door!). As residents, your free time is precious- so instead of wasting time driving through traffic or having to wait until vacation weeks to do fun outdoor activities, these are accessible even on weekdays!"

Max Rakutt 2028

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky

Undergraduate school: University of Louisville

Medical school: University of Kentucky

Degree (s): Chemistry BS, MD

Hobbies: Snow sports, marine repair and maintenance, bowling, weightlifting, SCUBA, film photography, boating

One thing you should know about UVM residency: "UVM Orthopaedics offers a unique balance, focusing on developing fundamental knowledge while offering early graduated autonomy at all stages without compromise. The smaller program size in addition to the resident-led approach offers an unmatched sense of camaraderie and passion among the residents. Being surrounded by beautiful Burlington Vermont is the cherry on top."

Ben Kagan 2027

Hometown: Essex, VT

Undergraduate School: University of Vermont

Medical School: University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine

Degrees: BS Chemistry, MD

Hobbies: gravel biking, running, Formula 1 racing, skiing, boating

One thing you should know about UVM residency: “The genuine passion that residents, attendings, and all staff members have for UVM orthopaedics is what makes this community a special place to train.”

Brandon Cushman 2026

Hometown: Gorham, ME

Undergraduate School: Middlebury College

Medical School: Tufts University – Maine Medical Center: Maine Track

Degrees: BA, MD

Hobbies: Videogames, Board games, Running, Snowboarding, Disc Golf

"Why UVM? Vermont is one of the most beautiful places on Earth with endless opportunities for my outdoor hobbies. The program is small, the residents spend a lot of time in the OR and the faculty are very involved in resident education. In other words, it was tailor-made for what I wanted in a program!"

Greg Roy 2025

Hometown: Rutland, VT

Undergraduate school: UVM

Medical school: UVM

Degree: BS mechanical engineering, MD

Hobbies: hiking, camping, fishing, woodworking, exercising

Things you should know about UVM residency:

"Great group of residents and faculty. And the faculty are dedicated to resident education. Plus Burlington is great!"

Luke Seeker 2024

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Undergraduate school: Southern Methodist University

Medical school: University of Texas Medical School , San Antonio

Degree (s): Finance, Biology, MD

Hobbies: Skiing, biking, ranching, painting

One thing you should know about UVM residency:

"There is an unbelievable wealth of human capital in this Orthopaedics program. I am 2000 miles away from my roots but the people here make me feel like I am at home."