Orthopaedics as a Career (AOA)
All content below is drawn from the Australian Orthopaedics Association website https://www.aoa.org.au/orthopaedic-training/becoming-an-orthopaedic-surgeon
We claim no ownership of the material written.
About Orthopaedics as a Career
There are approximately 1,300 orthopaedic surgeons currently employed in Australia, with the majority working in private practice.
Frequently asked questions:
What are some of the best things about being an orthopaedic surgeon?
A response from John Cunningham, Victorian orthopaedic surgeon
There are so many aspects of being an orthopaedic surgeon that it’s difficult to name only a few. When you meet patients, they are often in pain, and no longer enjoying their lives, and you get to know very well the sort of person they are and what they miss most. Working with them and their family, it’s so rewarding to develop a plan and then to carry it out with the team around them – their family, the nursing and hospital staff, and their local doctors. We regularly make very significant improvements to patients’ lives and nothing beats the smile on their faces when they see you afterwards.
From a technical point of view orthopaedic surgery has allowed me to learn incredible skills. I can safely operate on almost all parts of the body, and often use precision instruments to implant highly engineered and carefully designed devices to achieve the patient’s goals. Whilst most operations are fortunately common and we become familiar with them, regularly as a surgeon we come across more challenging cases, and this can be intellectually demanding before, during and after the operation, as well as being a test of our skills. Fortunately, orthopaedic surgeons have a long history of cooperation with each other, and lending a hand – or asking for a hand – is commonplace.
Lastly, being advocates for patient safety and public health is also a key role in our profession. You will find orthopaedic surgeons giving advice to sporting teams and organisations, and also liaising with governments to improve the health of all.
What are some of the difficult things about being an orthopaedic surgeon?
A response from Li-on Lam, Western Australian orthopaedic surgeon
There are many good things about becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, but like everything in life worth doing, there are difficult aspects to it. After the years it takes to become a doctor, surgical training involves further study, exams and research. This can take between six and ten years post-graduation. These years can be busy and require one to balance on-call duties and exams on top of a day job, along with all the other bits that accompany this season of life. On becoming a consultant, there is the further challenge of setting up practice and often competing for public hospital appointments. The community and our surgical colleagues rightly hold us to a high standard of practice and this necessarily involves scrutiny of our work, ethics and behaviour. We have to learn to deal with complications, criticism and also learn how to engage teams that work effectively. All of these are, of course, tremendous opportunities for personal and professional growth. I have found that surgery is truly a teacher of life and have no hesitation recommending it.
Do you need manual strength to be an orthopaedic surgeon?
A response from Nicole Williams, South Australian orthopaedic surgeon
A reasonable degree of physical fitness is helpful to get through long orthopaedic operating lists, which are often conducted while wearing protective lead gear and involve performing a range of manual tasks. It is by no means necessary to be a muscle-bound gym junkie. If you look around the room at an AOA Annual Scientific Meeting, you will see that orthopaedic surgeons come in a range of sizes and shapes. Technique generally trumps brute force when trying to get things done in orthopaedics.
In what regions of Australia are orthopaedic surgeons most needed?
As with all medical specialties, there is a need for more orthopaedic surgeons to work in rural and regional areas. According to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), approximately 31 per cent of Australians live in rural, regional and remote areas, but only 15 per cent of practicing surgeons work in these areas. As the surgical workforce ages and the rural population continues to grow, more surgeons will be needed to serve the rural and remote communities of Australia.
AOA’s training program includes a number of rural rotations in each region, and we encourage our trainees to consider a career in rural Australia.
Is it possible to balance work and family as an orthopaedic surgeon?
A response from Kate Stannage, Western Australian orthopaedic surgeon
Work-life-family balance is a difficult concept! I had two children during training, and they are now 15 and 12 years of age. I remain happily married. I have run a marathon and play in an orchestra. I have achieved goals in orthopaedics that once seemed unattainable. But life seems more about juggling than balance. Happily, it seems possible to juggle multiple balls whilst walking across a balance beam. Occasionally a ball is fumbled, or I wobble on the beam, but life and work both continue. I think maybe balance isn’t as important as satisfaction… and I am definitely satisfied with my work and life.
Is orthopaedic surgery an appropriate career choice for women?
Yes! Currently, only about three per cent of all orthopaedic surgeons in Australia are female. However, recent trainee intakes have seen a significant increase in the number of female trainees joining the training program, and we are hopeful that the specialty will see a more equal representation of women in future years. AOA is fully committed to increasing the diversity of the profession. Through the implementation of its five-year Diversity Strategy, AOA is taking concrete steps to support our female trainees and consultants, including:
the promotion of flexible training opportunities
establishment of the Orthopaedic Women’s Link and the Champions of Change initiative
On-site childcare and private rooms for personal use at conferences and events, and
flexibility in the selection process to allow for periods of parental leave.
If you are a female student thinking about a career in orthopaedics and you would like to speak with a female surgeon about their experiences, please get in touch with us and we will do our best to facilitate this for you.
