Making a career in any medical field is not going to be an easy job. If you have decided to become a doctor, then you will have to start your preparation from your 11th and 12th standard itself. Right from the entrance test to MBBS, till you become a doctor or a surgeon in a particular field, the path is going to be quite challenging. Once you clear all this challenge, you are going to have a very bright career and future. Along with proper preparation, there is another important point that you should concentrate on when you are planning to become a doctor. That is what the specialization that you wish to choose or in which field you wish to become a surgeon is? There are many different options, and Orthopedic Surgeon is one of the most popular options.
If you wish to make yourself an expert in science related to muscles and bones, the Orthopedic Surgeon is the option you have. So, for all those who want to make a career as an Orthopedic Surgeon, here is some useful information that can help you know more about how to become one and other details about the career and salary as well.
Who is an Orthopedic Surgeon?
Orthopedics is one of the most popular brands in medical sciences. This branch is related to bones and muscles. Both combine together, and this branch is a study of the musculoskeletal system of the human body. It is the skeletal system in the human body that provides complete support and also helps the body to move. An Orthopedic surgeon will be able to treat a number of deformities in the human skeletal system. There are many surgical and non-surgical methods that can be followed by the orthopedic Surgeon to treat the deformities.
Being an orthopedic surgeon, you will be dealing with:
- Arthritis and Osteoporosis
- Bone Tumors
- Club foot and Unequal leg lengths.
- Damaged Joints
- Dislocations and Fractures
- Disorders of Joints, Nerves, Ligaments, Muscles, Tendons, and Skin.
- Pulled Muscles
- Spinal Injuries.
- Tendon injuries
- Torn Cartilage
So, if you wish to become an Orthopedic surgeon, then continue reading as we have discussed a few more interesting things about how to become an Orthopedic Surgeon.
Eligibility Criteria:
In order to become an Orthopedic surgeon, there are certain eligibility criteria that you will have to meet. So, here is what you need to meet:
- You should have completed your higher secondary school at a good institute.
- You should complete your 12th standard from a good college with at least 60 percent marks.
- You should make sure that you have Biology, Chemistry and Physics as the main subjects in your 12th standard.
- You should clear the entrance exam for getting admission into the MBBS course.
- You should complete the five and half years of the MBBS course, which includes one year of the mandatory internship program as well.
Once you qualify for all these, then you are eligible for getting admission into a post-graduation course and become an Orthopedic Surgeon.
Admission Process:
The process of admission is as follows:
- You should give your NEET-UG and get admission for MBBS in a college of your choice.
- Once you complete your five and a half years of MBBS and Internship, you should give the NEET PG entrance test.
- Once you clear the entrance test, you will have to go for the counseling process.
- You need to secure at least 55 percent marks in your MBBS for getting admission to Master of Surgery Orthopedic Surgeon.
- It is going to be a course of three years, and the college fee is somewhere between Rs 10 lakhs to 60 lakhs depending on the college that you are choosing.
- You will also have to complete residency under any senior surgeon before you get started with the practice.
Some important entrance tests you can take:
An entrance exam is a must for getting admission in any college for completing your Master of Surgery in Orthopedic Surgeon. One of the most common entrance exams is NEET for medical students. Apart from that, there are so many other entrance tests that are accepted by most of the colleges in India. Here are a few of them for you:
NEET PG: Like we already discussed, it is the most common entrance exam that is accepted by most colleges. This exam is conducted by the National Board of examination, and it is a computer-based test. It helps to get admission into M.S. and M.D. courses in many disciplines. The exam is going to be for three and half hours, and you will have to answer 300 questions. It is a multiple-choice question examination.
AIIMS PG: This exam is conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi, and you will get admission into M.Ch, MDS, D.M., MD and M.S. courses. This is an exam of three hours, and you will have to answer 200 questions in it.
JIPMER PG: Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research PostGraduate, Pondicherry conducts this exam every for those who wish to get admission into Master of Surgery. This is an entrance test for five M.S. courses and also 19 M.D. courses that are offered. You should have completed your MBBS for taking this test, and it is a three-hour examination. It is an online test.
PGIMER: Another popular entrance test is PGIMER, and it is also an online test. You will be able to get admission into D.M., MD, MS and MDS courses. It is a multiple-choice based exam, and you will have to answer 250 questions in a duration of three hours.
Best courses available in India in Orthopedics and their duration:
In order to become an Orthopedic Surgeon, you will have to complete your Master in Surgery (M.S.) in Orthopedics. Apart from that, there are many courses that you can take up to start your career in Orthopedics. Here are some of the best courses in Orthopedics for you:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Orthopedics needs Graduation, and it is a 2 Year course.
- Master of Surgery (M.S.) in Orthopedics needs MBBS, and it is a course of 3 Years.
- Diploma in Orthopedics (D.Ortho.) needs Higher Secondary with Science stream and is a course of 2 Years.
- Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Exam in Orthopedics (D.N.B.) needs Graduation as eligibility, and it is a course of 3 Years.
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Orthopedics needs Post Graduation, and it is 3 Years course.
- Certificate Courses in Orthopedics needs a Higher Secondary, and the course duration is for 6 to 12 months.
- Post Graduate Diploma in Orthopedics needs MBBS, which is a course of 2 Years.
Career as an Orthopedic Surgeon:
There are different roles that you will be able to play after the completion of the Master of Surgery in Orthopedics. Some of the main roles that you play are:
- Clinical Associate
- Orthopedic Surgeon: as an Orthopedic surgeon, you will have to carry on the surgeries to the patients who are having problems like bone injuries, trauma or other injuries.
- Medical Consultant: As a consultant, you will have to advise the patients about the best treatments, and sometimes they will have to perform the treatments as well.
- Pediatric Surgeon: Pediatric surgeons will be responsible for treating the kids and young children for any bone injuries or defects that are present from birth.
- Orthopedic Professors: As an Orthopedic professor, you will be able to teach in medical colleges. As you have completed your course of Master of Surgery, you will have complete knowledge of the subject so you will be able to teach the students the best way.
Salary Structure:
When it comes to salary structure, a doctor always gets paid the best. But it again depends on the hospital or organization for which you are going to work and how many years of experience you have in the field. If you are an Orthopedic Surgeon in a good hospital, then you will be able to earn up to 20 lakhs per annum at the very beginning of your career as a surgeon. If you are a pediatric surgeon, then you can make between Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs. As an Orthopedic Professor, you can earn up to Rs 5 lakhs as well. So, it all depends on what path you are choosing after you complete your Master of Surgery as an Orthopedic Surgeon.
Best Colleges for becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon in India:
When looking for the best education in any field, the first thing that you need to concentrate on is the college or institute from which you will get your degree. So, when you have decided to become an orthopedic surgeon, you need to understand the importance of the right college and proper education. Whenever you are choosing a college, you need to pick the right one. Getting a better rank is very important to reserve a seat in one of the best colleges. If you are looking for the best colleges or universities in India, then here is a list of a few of them for you:
- Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospitals, Pondicherry
- AIIMS, New Delhi
- Al-Ameen Medical College, Bangalore
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
- AMU, Uttar Pradesh
- Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune
- B J Medical College, Gujarat
- Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune
- Christian Medical College, Tamil Nadu
- Darbhanga Medical College, Darbhanga
- Govt. Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh
- JIPMER, Pondicherry
- K.S. Hedge Medical Academy, Mangalore
- Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
- Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
- Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
- Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi
- Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi
- PGIMER, Chandigarh
This is a very small list of the best colleges in India that offer you education to Orthopedics. But there are many other colleges in India. You just need to make sure that you check all the details of the college from their official website to get complete details. They will help you know more about the college and the other details.
So, this was some useful information about how to become an Orthopedic Surgeon in India. It is going to a tough journey, but it is worth taking that path. It is one of the fantastic careers to choose when you wish to become a doctor. Just go for it if you are interested in bone and muscle science.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
