Dr. Nikhil Verma

Nationally renowned orthopedic surgeon in Chicago, IL

Nationally renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Nikhil Verma is a professor in the department of orthopedic surgery and serves as director of the division of sports medicine and shoulder, as well as director of the sports medicine fellowship program at Rush University Medical Center.

Fellowship Director, Professor and Chief of Sports Medicine at Rush University Medical Center
Shoulder, Elbow and Knee Surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
Head Team Physician for Chicago White Sox
Team Physician for Chicago Bulls
Voted Top Doctors in America® for 15 consecutive years by U.S.News & World Report and Castle Connolly

Areas of Expertise

Dr. Verma specializes in the treatment of shoulder, elbow, knee, and sports-related injuries and maintains an active clinical practice, performing more than 900 procedures per year. He also serves as head team physician for the Chicago White Sox and team physician for the Chicago Bulls. Dr. Verma has been named by his peers one of the “Best Doctors in America” every year since 2007 by Castle Connolly, as well as being named to Chicago Best Doctor List by Chicago Magazine.

Orthopedic Research

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Verma is involved in orthopedic research with interests in basic science, biomechanics, and clinical outcomes. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts in major orthopedic and sports medicine journals and written numerous book chapters. Dr. Verma routinely serves as teaching faculty for international orthopedic courses on advanced surgical techniques and has received funding for his work from Major League Baseball, the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the Association of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Education & Training

Dr. Verma earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan in 1994 before going on to earn his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, plus a fellowship for sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. While there, he served as an assistant team physician for the St. John’s University athletic department. Dr. Verma also received specialized training in the treatment of shoulder and elbow disorders in overhead-throwing athletes.

Industry Leadership

Dr. Verma has a longstanding commitment to providing mentorship opportunities. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked closely with the University of Michigan’s LSA Opportunity Hub to provide students with unprecedented virtual access to an operating room. Students were able to watch orthopedic surgeries via a live stream; they communicated with Dr. Verma using two-way technology both during and after the surgery. Hundreds of students have benefited from the program, which is ongoing; recently the program has focused specifically on exposure of women and under-represented minorities to the field of orthopedics. Dr. Verma also selects one University of Michigan pre-medicine student each year to work directly under him during a summer research internship program. Students receive invaluable guidance and insight into the fields of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine while shadowing in a clinic and operating room.

Dr. Verma is an editorial board member for both the Arthroscopy Journal and the Journal of Knee Surgery, and has served on the board of directors of the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, as well as a member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, the American Shoulder and Elbow Society, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and the Major League Baseball Team Physician Association.