Orthopedic Physician Assistants

[coffee]

Hello. I'm in the process of applying to PA school, and I have a growing interest in orthopedic medicine from my (somewhat related) experience in an outpatient physical therapy clinic and from observing PAs/Physicians perform minor surgery. I'm applying to a few "orthopedic tech" jobs that I'm hoping to land so that I can have a more direct experience in the field.  Of course, I am keeping my options open for when I actually get to explore the different kinds of medical specialties in PA school. In meantime, I have a few questions for those of you who have worked or are working as a physician assistant in orthopedics.

 

What are the types of patients you usually see? 

What do you like about this specialty compared to others? What do you find is worse? 

What type of healthcare facility do you work in? 

What is your work schedule like? 

.. and uh.. any other input you'd like to say about the field?

 

Thanks in advance, I appreciate your time and help. 

 

Edit: Also what's the difference between orthopedic and orthopaedic? 

Edit 2: I just discovered the Orthopedics specialty subforum.  This site is excellent. 

[Jorge]

Hi,

 

I took a job as an orthopedic surgery PA straight out of school.  It was one of my selective rotations and I really enjoyed it.  We see patients with all sorts of fractures of the upper and lower extremities, and pelvis.  Our practice defers spine injuries to neurosurgery.  The practice I work at is based in the hospital, and the PAs are very autonomous.  I see consults for inpatients and in the emergency room setting and perform many procedures such as reductions, arthrocentesis, steinmann pin placement, etc.  As the PA I'm also responsible for making the first assessment as to whether the patient needs to be cleared for surgery or follow up outpatient.  The types of procedures I get to do in the hospital is the part I like the most.  There's always something new to learn,  but the hours are very long.  Shift hours range between 10 to over 13 hours in my practice, but I typically work about 4 days a week.  I'd say the schedule is probably the biggest downside for most people - especially compared with other specialties.  As far as the difference between "orthopedics" and "orthopaedics", it's just a matter of preference - "Orthopedics" is the Americanized spelling.  My badge says "orthopaedic surgery" (the classic way of spelling it), but one of the PAs I work with chose for the badge to spell it "Orthopedic".

[coffee]

Hi,

 

I took a job as an orthopedic surgery PA straight out of school.  It was one of my selective rotations and I really enjoyed it.  We see patients with all sorts of fractures of the upper and lower extremities, and pelvis.  Our practice defers spine injuries to neurosurgery.  The practice I work at is based in the hospital, and the PAs are very autonomous.  I see consults for inpatients and in the emergency room setting and perform many procedures such as reductions, arthrocentesis, steinmann pin placement, etc.  As the PA I'm also responsible for making the first assessment as to whether the patient needs to be cleared for surgery or follow up outpatient.  The types of procedures I get to do in the hospital is the part I like the most.  There's always something new to learn,  but the hours are very long.  Shift hours range between 10 to over 13 hours in my practice, but I typically work about 4 days a week.  I'd say the schedule is probably the biggest downside for most people - especially compared with other specialties.  As far as the difference between "orthopedics" and "orthopaedics", it's just a matter of preference - "Orthopedics" is the Americanized spelling.  My badge says "orthopaedic surgery" (the classic way of spelling it), but one of the PAs I work with chose for the badge to spell it "Orthopedic".

 

 

Thanks Jorge! I didn't expect such a quick reply. How do you handle the long hours (e.g. balancing family / relationships if any; not getting burned/tired out, etc). That environment sounds exciting enough to make the hours go by fast, though. 

[Jorge]

It can be tough at times; I don't get to see my friends as much as I'd like to. And I have to admit I do feel burned out at times. I do feel like the experience has made me a great PA because it is almost like a residency. The hours do go by fast because there's always something to do. It depends what kind of lifestyle you want to decide if it will be a good fit. Some people prefer having a regular 9-5 with weekends off, etc