A branch of surgery that is concerned with musculoskeletal system is known as orthopedics. An orthopedist uses non surgical or surgical methods of providing treatment to injured patients or to patients who are victims of tumors, degenerative diseases or congenital disorders. Becoming a Maryland orthopedic surgeon is not an easy task. It all begins with education where an individual must undergo four years of study as an undergraduate and another four in medical school.
After studying the course for four years in medical school, a person is required to do a further five in residency training. One year is for practicing general surgery and the other four are specifically for orthopedic practice. An orthopedist may wish to do fellowships after doing residency training. It takes one year or two at most. Musculoskeletal oncology, hand surgery, arthroplasty, spine injury, shoulder and elbow surgery and pediatric orthopedics are some of the subspecialties covered in orthopedics.
Note that some of these specialties are not limited to orthopedic surgery alone. Hand surgery for instance is also carried out by plastic surgeons while spine surgery can also be carried out by neurosurgeons. Another specialty that can accommodate other physicians is foot and ankle surgery which is also carried out by doctors of podiatric medicine who are certified. Completing residency training does not guarantee an orthopedist that he is qualified for the work. It is the certificate given by the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists or American Board of Medical Specialties that shows that an orthopedist is qualified to perform surgery.
A person must sit for exams set by these boards. He must do oral and written exams which aim to test his clinical and surgical performance over a time period of six months. These boards set the standards high by requiring students to excel in the exams with almost perfect scores because of the logic that there cannot be any mistake done when operating on a patient.
One of the common techniques used by an orthopedic surgeon in treating an injured patient is arthroscopy. It helps a patient to recover from a surgery in a short period of time contrary to open surgery which may force the patient to take a long time in recuperating. Knee arthroscopy which is one of the well known medical procedures where arthroscopy is employed is sometimes combined with chondroplasty or meniscectomy for a more effective treatment.
Arthroplasty is also a popular medical procedure used by orthopedists. It is a procedure that aims to replace a joint with another material such as a metal or a high density polythene. If you need a replacement for your hip joint for instance, one of the treatments that you may be offered to choose is arthroplasty. Other joints that may call for an arthroplasty type of treatment are elbow joints, wrist joints and spine joints.
If you think of orthopedic surgery as a potential career choice, do a research first on the various subspecialties that fall in this profession. Also assess the money you may need for studying the course. Note that many medical courses are expensive to pay for.
The high amounts of fees should not discourage you if this is your top choice career. Look for education loans from various education organizations around your area of residence or sponsorship deals. It is important however that you should obtain high grades in high school especially in science subjects if you aspire to become a Maryland orthopedic surgeon.
After studying the course for four years in medical school, a person is required to do a further five in residency training. One year is for practicing general surgery and the other four are specifically for orthopedic practice. An orthopedist may wish to do fellowships after doing residency training. It takes one year or two at most. Musculoskeletal oncology, hand surgery, arthroplasty, spine injury, shoulder and elbow surgery and pediatric orthopedics are some of the subspecialties covered in orthopedics.
Note that some of these specialties are not limited to orthopedic surgery alone. Hand surgery for instance is also carried out by plastic surgeons while spine surgery can also be carried out by neurosurgeons. Another specialty that can accommodate other physicians is foot and ankle surgery which is also carried out by doctors of podiatric medicine who are certified. Completing residency training does not guarantee an orthopedist that he is qualified for the work. It is the certificate given by the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists or American Board of Medical Specialties that shows that an orthopedist is qualified to perform surgery.
A person must sit for exams set by these boards. He must do oral and written exams which aim to test his clinical and surgical performance over a time period of six months. These boards set the standards high by requiring students to excel in the exams with almost perfect scores because of the logic that there cannot be any mistake done when operating on a patient.
One of the common techniques used by an orthopedic surgeon in treating an injured patient is arthroscopy. It helps a patient to recover from a surgery in a short period of time contrary to open surgery which may force the patient to take a long time in recuperating. Knee arthroscopy which is one of the well known medical procedures where arthroscopy is employed is sometimes combined with chondroplasty or meniscectomy for a more effective treatment.
Arthroplasty is also a popular medical procedure used by orthopedists. It is a procedure that aims to replace a joint with another material such as a metal or a high density polythene. If you need a replacement for your hip joint for instance, one of the treatments that you may be offered to choose is arthroplasty. Other joints that may call for an arthroplasty type of treatment are elbow joints, wrist joints and spine joints.
If you think of orthopedic surgery as a potential career choice, do a research first on the various subspecialties that fall in this profession. Also assess the money you may need for studying the course. Note that many medical courses are expensive to pay for.
The high amounts of fees should not discourage you if this is your top choice career. Look for education loans from various education organizations around your area of residence or sponsorship deals. It is important however that you should obtain high grades in high school especially in science subjects if you aspire to become a Maryland orthopedic surgeon.
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