Orthopaedic Surgery

**Sipadan** · 18-04-2005, 12:19 PM

Yep, seems that it's the last bastion of the old school, I'd start playing rugby if I were you

**kwatt26** · 18-04-2005, 11:00 PM

Yeah, it's definitley a male bastion all around the world, and doesn't look like it's easy for a woman to break into. Other doctors seem to think it is like carpentry, but on a much larger scale (obviously), and I imagine that it would be quite strenuous and tiring to work long hours in such a field. Best of luck with all of it though, and if you're really serious about it, none of the comments from relatives or male colleagues will make a difference!

**MBS** · 19-04-2005, 02:49 AM

My father is an orthopaedic surgeon, and from wut i have noticed, its an interesting speciality, unlike the brain surgeon who needs only to know about the head, neck and the back, an orthopaedics surgeon needs to know alot more. so its not an easy profession.
at hospital, he says most ppl are senior citizens, and most require hip replacement or knee replacement , which r typical operations of an orthopaedic surgeon. altho consultants usually sub-specialise in Knee, or Hip...etc..
Rarely, u get like young ppl who have injured their knees or something, its mostly old ppl. unlike at overseas, where my father spent a huge part of his orthopaedic career , he used to get lots of cases of ppl having been shot thru the bones, or have been in a fight thats broken lots of their bones..etc..

I am yet to meet a female orthopaedic surgeon, at the hospital where my father works, they have no female orthopaedic surgeons !! not even trainees or SHOs.

Women should be equally able to handle the same tasks as men, but traditionally, surgeons have been men. and ObGyn's have been women. Ofcourse this is not the case anymore, and I totally disagree with the old ways.

a Career in orthopaedics surgery will be most enjoyable. but it ll be a big challenge.

Good Luck

**sarahe** · 25-04-2005, 04:40 PM

Hello
i am also thinking of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon. I havent actually started med school yet, but am doing so in september! i just love the idea of it and although i know it is a male dominated profession, i know a female orthopaedic surgeon who is great and loves her job.
If you want to be one, then just go for it. You have to be very determined though and be able to accept a lot of criticism.
May see you in theatre in the future! lol
sarah

**pretoria** · 09-10-2005, 01:03 PM

I'm just coming to the end of my 4th year Orthopaedics rotation and I've really loved it. I had pretty much ruled it out as a specialty because of the stereotype (big, muscley guys) but I've really enjoyed it, particularly because it uses so much limb anatomy knowledge, and that is an area I liked at preclinical. Also, at the DGH where I am based, the orthopods are not big and muscley at all - so despite being a rather small and weedy person, I think a few sessions down the gym and I should be fine

**andy2** · 09-10-2005, 07:56 PM

what's the definition of a randomised double blind study?

Two orthopods looking at an ECG.

Holistic orthopaedics -treating the whole bone and not just the fracture.

Get used to being the butt of jokes. However its mostly jealousy given the huge Private earnings othopods can earn.

**claudia** · 09-10-2005, 08:06 PM

I don't think it's neccessarily jealousy - a lot of orthopods take great delight in "forgetting" everything that isn't directly related to their specialty. One of my best friends is an orthopod and loves the jokes and confesses he feels lost in other-specialty discussions/academic meetings - but he doesn't care.

Radiologists are the butt of a lot of jokes as well but I don't think anyone's jealous of them - although having no ongoing responsibility for patients must be a bonus! Anaesthetists, psychiatrists, GPs, aesthetic surgeons, palliative physicians... medicine will be boring if we didn't take the piss out of one another. It's when people develop a superiority complex regarding their specialty that things get worrying...

ps: couldn't resist another orthopod joke:

Q: What's the difference between an orthopaedic surgeon and a carpenter?

A: A carpenter can name 2 antibiotics...

**pilly84** · 02-02-2006, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Sipadan

There are only 25(ish) female consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the entire country.

I'm on placement with one at the moment

**Orthosec** · 03-04-2006, 01:50 AM

Hello

If anyone requires any typing of Orthopaedic work, please get in touch mellissa_thorpe@hotmail.com

PS: I agree, I have worked in Obs & Gynae, General Surgery (Vascular and Colo-rectal) which were interesting but Orthopaedics is just as interesting.

**Fabulous_Barratt** · 30-04-2006, 11:57 PM

surgery is an odd one though. i've been told to stay well clear when i (hopefully) graduate from med because i will HAVE to turn into a bas-tard to get on, its clicky and you need to be very, very ruthless. i'm not quite like that. but then again its all stereotyping, out of most of surgery it would be the better one to go for, although i wouldn't like to mess with people's backs and start doing laminectomies and discectomies and stuff. all seem's very scary to me.

re: the money, i work in a private hospital and there are loads of orthopod ops every week and you can make a killing. i think BUPA rates are something like a £750 for a knee arthroscopy and menisectomy at the very least and on a normal list the surgeon will bang out seven or eight, every week, 52 weeks a year, thats a lot of money!