Overview
An orthopedic surgeon is a doctor with the training and credentials needed to identify, treat, and prevent diseases of the bones and muscles. Orthopedic surgeons address disorders like osteoporosis, fractured hips, and scoliosis as well as congenital abnormalities like those mentioned. You would need to acquire a degree in the medical field or also known as bidang perubatan to become an orthopedic surgeon.
1.Earn your bachelors degree in doctorate
The most fundamental step in becoming an orthopedic surgeon is to get the acquired education requirement. You would need to first get a bachelor’s degree and make sure it’s from a credible university that would assure your placing in a medical setting. You would need to master a few subjects for this including biology, chemistry, additional mathematics, physics and also a good command of language.
2.Complete your housemanship
While Malaysians are introduced with the term housemanship, people abroad call it residency. You might need about 5 years to complete this. Housemanship is basically the on-job training that you need to involve yourself with in hospital. You will be changed from one department to the other through the course of the 5 years. Practitioners would be able to learn skills and abilities during this process.
3.Get done with your fellowship
Once you are done with your housemanship period you would need to go through a course that is referred to as fellowship. Doctors who wish to specialize in any specific field would opt for fellowship. This would mean that you would require to go through an in-depth study of that area. It would usually take one or two years to finish (depending on the health facility chosen). Some of the fields that require fellowship are orthopedic, pediatric, ophthalmology, spine specialist and surgical sport medicine.
Tips to strengthen your foundation
Although the pathway in becoming an orthopedic surgeon is obvious, there are several steps that you can take in order to increase your chances and also to strengthen your foundation thus making you a strong candidate.
- Take up science stream in school
By equipping yourself in all science subjects during schooling time, you can get an exposure on how and what it is like. This would ease the process of you obtaining information while you are in med school. It stands as a strong foundation and your older self would definitely thank you for it.
- Get advice from a medical student/ medical practitioner
No matter how much you prepare yourself before joining the medical course, you still seem to have glitches and have some sort of shortcoming. It’s best to get advice from your friend, relative or acquaintance that have or are currently pursuing medicine. They might enlighten you in areas that you need more information like the prep before entering and all.
- Perform well in clinical rotation
Once you have made your way to housemanship, concentrate well and carry out all your daily task diligently. Your letters of recommendation may be based on how well you perform in clinical rotations, where you learn surgical techniques. You might also find a field of speciality that suits your talents and abilities during clinical rotations. It lays a solid foundation for your future as an orthopedic surgeon