Rahul Vaidya, M.D., C.M., FRCSc, FAOA, FAAOS, has been appointed chair of the Wayne State University School of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dean Wael Sakr, M.D., announced the appointment Oct. 5.

A professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Vaidya is chief of Orthopaedic Trauma and fellowship director at Detroit Receiving Hospital, and the service chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Karmanos Cancer Center. He is a former specialist-in-chief of Orthopaedic Surgery for the Detroit Medical Center.

He joined the WSU faculty in 2009 and serves as the site director of the Wayne State University School of Medicine clerkship surgery rotation and as director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Rotation in the WSU Department of Emergency Medicine.

A fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Vaidya is a member of the American Orthopaedic Association, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, the Michigan Orthopaedic Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

He has received numerous awards, including the Howard Rosen AO Trauma NA Teaching Award, the WSU Excellence in Teaching Award and the DMC/WSU Teaching Award for best educator as selected by residents in 2019. He has taught and mentored numerous fellows, residents and medical students. A widely-sought speaker and prolific author, he holds 12 medical patents. He also is a major in the Canadian Army Reserves.

Dr. Vaidya received his bachelor’s of science degree from Dalhousie University in 1987 and his medical degree from McGill University Faculty of Medicine in 1981, followed by an Orthopaedic Surgery residency at McGill, a fellowship with the Royal College of Surgeons Canada, a fellowship in Orthopaedic Traumatology at the University of British Columbia and a fellowship in Spinal Surgery at McGill University.