Orthopaedic Surgical Training

Orthopaedic Surgeons have completed the standard six year medical course and have usually spent at least three or four years in a teaching hospital working in a variety of medical disciplines, and through this process learn how to deal with disorders involving the whole person.

At the completion of these early years of hospital training young surgeons sit for an arduous examination called, "The First Part Examination of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons". Once this exam has been passed it entitles them to apply for training under the orthopaedic training program. If selected - and only about 25% of applicants are accepted on to the program - a four year training program takes place. Trainees rotate through different hospitals in each year of their program, gaining a broad experience in both traumatic orthopaedics, that is injuries from minor events or major traffic accidents, as well as learning the skills of treating disorders or diseases of the upper and lower limbs and spine, often involving reconstructive techniques or joint replacement surgery.

Upon completion of training the final fellowship examination of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is taken. The majority of trainees in Australia travel to Great Britain, Europe or the United States and spend a further one or two years in those countries working with surgeons in known centres of excellence before taking up practice in Australia. You may see that this period of training may take up to 15 years from the time of leaving school before a trainee becomes available to the community as a practising Orthopaedic Surgeon. The majority of surgeons occupy a proportion of their week working in a public hospital, (perhaps a quarter of their week) and the remainder in private practice settings.

Most surgeons will use their time in the public hospital to engage in peer review, to learn new techniques, and to teach medical students and orthopaedic trainees. This public hospital position may also give them the opportunity to engage in research. In addition to this ongoing education through the public hospital system, most Orthopaedic Surgeons will spend several hours per week reviewing orthopaedic journals and sometimes several weeks per year attending local and overseas conferences to remain up-to-date with current practice.