By:
Toby Klein
Orthopedic surgeons help to diagnose
and fix problems of the musculoskeletal system. The majority of their work deals
with injuries of the bones, joints/ligaments, and muscles. Orthopedic surgeons
can work with people of all ages. To become an orthopedic surgeon, you must
first complete four years at a university, four years of medical school, five
years of residency, and an optional year of specialization. In my case I wish
to pursue a specialization in sports medicine. This comes out to a total of
fourteen years of school. While the workload to get there is very challenging,
the work you will be doing makes it more than worth it worth it.
Common procedures of orthopedic surgeons include
arthroscopy, osteotomy, and internal fixation. Arthroscopy is when a camera is
inserted into the body to diagnose problems of what is usually a joint, but can
also be a bone. Osteotomy is when there is a deformity in a bone, being
corrected, such as a finger being bent outwards. Internal fixation is when the
surgeon implants metal plates or screws to hold the broken pieces of the bone
together.
Sports medicine specialized surgeons
are often associated with a singular team or a singular city’s teams. For example,
the doctors at the DMC (Detroit Medical Center) take care of the majority of
athletes that play for the Detroit Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, and Lions. It is
my dream to eventually work for an organization like this in the future. I
would love to work alongside the athletes as sports has always given me a ton
of joy. Orthopedic surgery is a very exciting field and if you are in the right
place you might just get to meet some superstar athletes.
Source URL: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00099
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