Branches of Medicine: Orthopedics

Definition: A surgeon educated and trained in the diagnosis/treatment of diseases and injuries to the musculoskeletal system. An orthopedic surgeon treats numerous conditions affecting the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves of the body with the use of preoperative, operative, and postoperative treatments.

After sustaining a knee injury that required for surgical intervention while in high school, I struggled with recurring ailments throughout my intercollegiate career. It was not until my father, who is an Osteopathic physician, was performing manipulation on me did we begin to diagnose the potential causes. The issue was muscle imbalance and limited flexibility in certain areas of my body that was shifting majority of my weight onto my knees while performing certain movements. This went unnoticed by physicians because while performing examinations the scope was concentrated on the immediate areas around my knee. With the knowledge I obtained through manipulation I have been able to treat my knee ailments by strengthening and lengthening muscles throughout my body. Having this experience helped solidify that if I am to be the physician I aspire to be, it is imperative to be trained in this form of medicine.

Describe the top three reasons you have chosen osteopathic medicine as your professional choice in becoming a physician. = why D.O.

OrthoOklahoma is an orthopedic medical clinic with a physical therapy branch that provides outpatient physical therapy care. The facility has a staff of three licensed physical therapists and a physical therapy assistant along with four physical therapy techs. I was able to observe all three physical therapists, Megan Ripley, Joe Ogle and Ken Roberts. At OrthoOklahoma, the most common patients are post-surgery from repairs of muscles, bones or joints. While shadowing these therapists, I observed cases of total knee replacement, total hip replacement, ACL/meniscus repair, rotator cuff repair, frozen shoulder, labrum repair, and other ailments from wear-and-tear and aging. This experience allowed me to talk to physical therapists about the ins and outs of their job, learn about different exercises and routines for treatment of injuries, and really get an idea of the work it takes to become a well-respected physical therapist.

Additionally, being a chiropractor is another career that sparks my interest. "Chiropractors care for patients with health problems of the neuromusculoskeletal system, which includes nerves, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons" (U.S Dept. of Labor, "Chiropractors"). Chiropractors examine patient's physical state, run tests, and perform "neuromusculoskeletal therapy" (U.S Dept. of Labor, "Chiropractors"). These responsibilities are very important considering the fact that they are working on patients' nerves and other important body parts. This career involves you to be more hands-on with the patient's injury and so while in the process of treating the chiropractor should make a habit of checking with the patient concerning their comfort

I have chosen osteopathic medicine as my professional choice in becoming a physician, because I have a passion for the healthcare field and learning, I want to be able to help others and give back to the community and I believe that medicine is evolving towards an osteopathic approach which takes into account the body as a whole. Passion is the driver behind any good physician. I am always looking to learn and improve upon my performance in whatever I am doing. Whether it was undergraduate coursework, medical shadowing, EMT training, or community service I put forth my fullest effort into the task at hand. Every moment in medicine and life in general is a valuable learning experience. Osteopathic medicine will force me outside of my comfort zone and many mistakes will be made along the way, but I look forward to tackling the challenges ahead of me and in the end it will allow me to become the best physician possible.

Once devoted to the care of children with spine and limb deformities, orthopaedists now care for patients of all ages, from newborns with clubfeet to young athletes requiring arthroscopic surgery to older people with arthritis. And to anybody that can break a bone. (AAOS)

This lecture explained the role of a podiatrist doctor and the benefits of going into such career. The speaker emphasised that unlike students going to medical school, students going into podiatric already know what their speciality will be. She also explained that pediatric doctors are specialized not only on the feet but anything under the knee. Furthermore, she went onto explain that feet are very complex mechanical structure that are composed of 26 bones and 33 joints and many filaments. Thus, if one has a foot injury you should look for a specialist in that area to treat your injuries. In addition, the speaker explained that podiatrist doctor are also able to detect any other health problem like a heart disease or diabetes by examining

My desire to be an osteopathic physician came after attending an OMM session during my gap years as a research fellow at the NIH. This experience contributed to my interest in osteopathic medicine, as I was intrigued by the musculoskeletal manipulation techniques, and deeply appreciated the hands-on, holistic approach to patient care. I feel strongly that training as an osteopath, will prove invaluable in my career as I work deliver quality treatment to underserved communities.

The job has many things you need to cover and be aware of if you wanna be successful. You'll have to diagnose and treat bone injuries as well as muscle injuries. You'll also try to prevent injuries from happening, to do that you'll use tools such as, tape, and braces. They have to recognize and evaluate evaluate injuries so you'll have to go through school to be able to do that.

This can include Chiropractor, Yoga, Massage and many other treatments. D.O. physicians are fully trained and are licensed doctors. They have attended and graduated from an Osteopathic medical school. Osteopathic Doctors receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system than an MD doctor. There are currently “30 osteopathic medical schools in 42 locations throughout the United States” (American Osteopathic Association , 2015). Each college has an estimate of about 4 years in the program to graduate with a D.O. degree. There are than 18 specialty certifying boards through the American Osteopathic

Mobility grants opportunity and lifelong experiences through the gift of exploration and independence. Without autonomy of movement in one’s life, there are struggles accompanied by frustration do to the lack of freedom and ability. It is an orthopedic surgeon’s job to bring function to one’s life even if they have never been granted movement without restraint before. Orthopedic surgeons receive patients whose freedom of movement have been compromised and then return it back to them. Orthopedic surgeons give immeasurable opportunities and life experiences back to their patients because of their perseverance and commitment to their patients and careers.

UNMC is a very prestigious school and hospital. It is known for their accomplishments nation-wide. When this opportunity came, I had no choice but to take it. I am applying for the UNMC High School Alliance program to get more experience in the medical field. Being accepted in this program would help me in many ways, including getting accepted into colleges and possibly medical schools down the road. While attending this program, I would get a more in-depth, hands on, experience in the medical field. This experience and the crucial information I learn by participation in this program, will help launch my career path to become an Orthopedic Surgeon. This job specifically interests me because of the challenges that come along with this occupation.

In 1998, the Massachusetts General Orthopedic Associates (MGOA), a specialized unit within Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), hired Dr. Harry Rubash and Dr. James Herndon, respectively, to help to remedy the annual financial deficits, which were “financed” by dipping into endowment and borrowings from MGH. These financial deficits have been continually getting into MGOA’s mission of providing high-quality patient care, research, and teaching (Barro 3). In the immediate months after accepting their positions of leadership, both Rubash and Herndon steered the hospital into the green turning a modest profit. However, it was clear that their new initiatives wouldn’t be viable for the long term. To do so, Rubash and Herndon proposed a new physician compensation plan. This plan included a development fund tax, a bonus, in addition to periodic adjustments to a base salary based on individual physician performance in regards to how profitable the physician was for MGOA. Initial physicians’ reaction to the proposed plan varied, however, if the case study was an indication, Rubash and Herndon were determined to implement their plan.

Orthopedic Surgery is the branch of surgery, which is concerned with conditions of the musculoskeletal system. Physicians entering the field of orthopedic surgery can either practice the general orthopedic surgery or specialize in either of the following fields: