Orthopedic surgery has become a major focus for many hospitals and health systems, with more converting to orthopedic-only centers.
With great demand for orthopedic surgeons, there is also increasing demand for various subspecialties. Evan Argintar, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Georgetown Orthopedic Institute in Washington D.C., shares insights onsurgeon preferences and the specialty's future.
Question: Is there a specialty most common for orthopedic surgeons to pursue? If so, which one?
Dr. Evan Argintar: There are many specialties that exist in orthopedics. This includes sports medicine, joint replacement, pediatrics, trauma, shoulder and elbow, oncology and spine. Although many orthopedic surgeons get sub-specialized training, sports medicine and joint reconstruction are likely the most common specialty is chosen, as these subspecializations still allow most practicing orthopedic surgeons to have a generalized practice.
Q: For young physicians choosing to study sports medicine, what is the most important thing to know?
EA: As physicians choose a subspecialization, it is important to know that the application process can be competitive. However, I always encourage my residents to try to balance their excellent clinical experience with clinical research in order to make their application more competitive. That being said, there are many excellent training programs in all of these subspecialties.
Q: Where is orthopedic surgery trending?
EA: As we continue to sub-specialize, orthopedic surgery is trending in the direction of bringing many surgeries, even ones that have been historically considered inpatient, to the surgery center. With lower infection rates [and] with improved perioperative pain control, excellent clinical outcomes can be achieved in ambulatory surgical centers.