Orthopedics is a branch of medicine that deals with the musculoskeletal system. An orthopedic surgeon, therefore, is a medical professional that conducts surgery on various parts of the musculoskeletal system to address issues such as birth defects or injuries.
Most of an orthopedic surgeon's time is spent inside the operating room. But other than that, their duties revolve around diagnosing orthopedic issues, educating patients about their condition, recommending other forms of treatment, and coordinating with other healthcare staff to provide the highest quality of care for all patients.
Becoming an orthopedic surgeon requires a pre-med course, a medical degree, an internship, a residency program, and specialty training in orthopedic surgery. It takes quite some time to become an orthopedic surgeon, with many reaching this position in their 30s or 40s.
Nevertheless, the reward, in the end, is worth the decades of studying. On average, orthopedic surgeons make around a whopping $364,000 a year or roughly $175 an hour.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an Orthopaedic Surgeon. For example, did you know that they make an average of $175.35 an hour? That's $364,732 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 55,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Orthopaedic Surgeons have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Communication skills, Compassion and Detail oriented.
If you're interested in becoming an Orthopaedic Surgeon, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 27.4% of Orthopaedic Surgeons have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.8% of Orthopaedic Surgeons have master's degrees. Even though most Orthopaedic Surgeons have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an Orthopaedic Surgeon. When we researched the most common majors for an Orthopaedic Surgeon, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Doctoral Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Orthopaedic Surgeon resumes include Associate Degree degrees or Master's Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an Orthopaedic Surgeon. In fact, many Orthopaedic Surgeon jobs require experience in a role such as Volunteer. Meanwhile, many Orthopaedic Surgeons also have previous career experience in roles such as Medical Assistant or X-Ray Technician.