Dr. Vander Griend received his MD from the University of Florida in 1978, and completed a surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency also at the University of Florida. He did fellowships in Trauma Research (Martin Allg and ouml;wer Trauma Fellowship, Labor f and uuml;r Experimentelle Chirurgie [Laboratory for Experimental Surgery]) in Davos, Switzerland and Clinical Orthopaedic Society Travelling Fellowship (Foot and Ankle). He returned to the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Florida in 1986. He practices as an orthopedic surgeon with expertise in foot and ankle surgery.
Vander Griend has published 35 abstracts and more than 45 publications in journals such as Orthopaedic Trauma, the Journal of Bone Joint Surgery and the BONE. He serves as Associate Editor for Foot and Ankle International.
Vander Griend is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic foot and Ankle Society, the International Society for Fracture Repair, and the AO Trauma Association.
His areas of historical interest include the Protestant Reformation and the history of musculo-skeletal medicine & orthopaedic surgery.