Orthopedic Medicine
All Orthopedic Medicine information on Ewtrf.org
Orthopedic Specialists
Orthopedic specialists are physicians and surgeons who have chosen to work in orthopedics. Orthopedics is a field that deals with injuries and diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system.
In order to become an orthopedic specialist it is necessary to complete specialty training during a residency after medical school. Some orthopedic physicians and surgeons will then work with a general orthopedic practice, but others choose to go on to sub-specialty training or to focus in a particular area of orthopedics.
In the United States, doctors typically pursue a four year curriculum in medical school, following a bachelor's degree, before they enter the specialty training or residency. The length of the residency will depend upon the specialty that has been chosen, and whether or not the doctor wishes to continue training in a sub-specialty after they have completed specialty training. Typically, a residency in surgery will take longer than one in medicine. The usual length of a residency for training in orthopedic surgery is five years, including a year of general surgery. It is a very competitive specialty. If the surgeon, then wishes to undertake sub-specialty training, this is likely to take another one to two years.
Orthopedic specialists typically work with patients who have either been injured in an accident or who are affected by a degenerative musculoskeletal disease. It is also common for the patients treated by orthopedic specialists to have been affected by the degenerative effects of the aging process on the bones and muscles.
The types of treatments which an orthopedic specialist may use depend upon whether they have chosen to specialize in orthopedic surgery or orthopedic medicine. Orthopedic doctors can work to prevent injuries, particularly among athletes. They can also help to treat injuries and musculoskeletal diseases with medication and physical therapy. Surgeons will tend to work with the most serious cases, when orthopedic medicine may not be a suitable alternative. Surgeons can work to repair damaged tissue, use pins and implants to support damaged bones while they heal, or insert artificial joint to replace those that have been worn or damaged.
As well as choosing a specialty in orthopedics, it is also possible for physicians or surgeons to undergo additional training in order to work in a particular sub-specialty of orthopedics. Some orthopedic physicians choose to focus on a particular aspect of orthopedics, such as sport medicine. Doctors may also choose to focus their practice on dealing with particular patient populations or types of patients. Some doctors may deal mostly with injuries, while others may focus on musculoskeletal diseases.
Doctors may also choose to specialize in physical medicine and in rehabilitation, helping patients to recover from injuries and musculoskeletal disorders and surgery. This specialty enables physicians to focus on helping people to recover their strength and mobility. It often involves working with patients over an extended period in order to help them recover as much of their former mobility as possible. Doctors who have chosen this specialty may also choose to train in certain sub-specialties, including sports medicine, neuromuscular medicine, and pediatric rehabilitation.
Orthopedic surgeons can choose from a number of different sub-specialties. They may choose to focus on orthopedic surgery on a particular part of the body, such as the hand, the spine, or the foot and ankle, or to concentrate on a sub-specialty that involves a particular type of patient or disorder, such as trauma surgery, sports medicine, musculoskeletal oncology or reconstruction. Orthopedic surgeons may also choose the pediatric orthopedics sub-specialty in order to focus on working with children.
To find out more about careers in orthopedic medicine and surgery, take a look around the rest of ewtrf.org.