What is an Orthopedic Surgeon? Brief Overview:
An orthopedic surgeon is a
physician (surgeon) who specializes in surgery related to the medical specialty of
orthopedics. Orthopedic surgeons operate on injuries and conditions of the tendons, ligaments, bones, joints, and muscles.
There are many different types of orthopedic surgeons, from generalists to highly subspecialized ones that focus on a particular joint or part of the body such as the spine. Other orthopedic surgeons may focus on particular type of injury such as sports-related injuries, or on a specific type of patient such as pediatrics.
How to Become an Orthopedic Surgeon:
Orthopedic surgeons are physicians, so they must get a
medical degree (D.O. or M.D.) from an accredited medical school, which typically takes four years after obtaining a four-year undergraduate degree.
After medical school, future orthopedic surgeons must successfully complete a residency training program in orthopedic surgery, most of which are five-year programs. According to the AMA, there are about 152 orthopedic residency programs in the U.S. (as of 2011). Most of these programs accept only a few (3-5) new residents per year.
After residency, one may choose to participate in an extra year or two of a fellowship program to obtain additional training in a specialized area of orthopedics.
Work Schedule and Duties of an Orthopedic Surgeon:
Orthopedic surgeons, like most surgeons, spend the majority of their work hours in the OR (operating room) performing surgeries. Orthopedics entails a combination of minor and major surgeries. Minor surgeries may include outpatient surgeries such as arthroscopic surgery, casting a broken bone, etc. Major surgeries may include more lengthy, involved operations such as spine surgery, total joint replacement, or fixing severe trauma-related injuries such as shattered bones, etc.
In addition to the hundreds of cases performed annually in the OR, orthopedic surgeons may spend about one half day to one and one half day per week in the office for consults and post-op follow up visits with patients.
On average, orthopedic surgeons will usually work four to four and a half days during the weekdays, and they have about four to six weeks off for vacation typically during the year, plus 1-2 weeks for
CME time.
Orthopedic surgeons often are required to take some call during some nights and weekends depending on the arrangement of the hospital with which they are affiliated. If they do a lot of trauma related orthopedic surgery, or specialize in trauma, they may have a higher volume or frequency of on-call duties. If there are a lot of other surgeons in the area, this may alleviate some of the on-call schedule.
Who Enjoys and Excels in Orthopedic Surgery:
As with any medical doctor, it helps to have a strong background of success in math and science courses. Also, physicians who enjoy sports or who have an athletic background often like orthopedic surgery because it's an area of medicine that is of personal interest to them. Surgeons who enjoy putting people back together and improving their quality of life, especially from a mobility standpoint, or from an athletic standpoint, will enjoy the field of orthopedics. Also, it's a very mechanical specialty and one that also appeals to people who have mechanical inclinations or a proclivity in engineering.
Salary and Compensation for Orthopedic Surgeons:
Orthopedic surgeons are among some of the most highly compensated physicians. Depending on the type of orthopedic surgery one specializes in, orthopedic surgeons can earn upwards of $700,000 annually. The median annual income for a general orthopedic surgeon is $514,659, according to the MGMA 2011 Physician Compensation report, based on 2010 income, which is the most recent data available until the fall of 2012.
