a day in the life of an orthopedic surgeon...

After working in an orthopedic surgeon’s office this past summer, I have cemented a better idea of a typical day in the medical profession. The day begins early, probably waking up around five in the morning and heading off to one of the many hospitals where he operates. He spends about an hour “rounding” on patients, meaning he checks on the ones that recently had surgery or the ones with surgery to come. Then, he is on to actual surgery. He might have three surgeries in the morning, one replacing an elderly woman’s hip, another setting a young boy’s broken fibula, and another repairing a mother’s patella. Usually he trains an intern or resident throughout the day, they assist in operations or perform them under the surgeon’s watchful eye. He is off for a quick lunch and then to the office where he will see around thirty patients, all with different pains and ailments. Some are returnees, some are children, some want a second opinion, and others simply have no idea what is wrong with them. Most patients have some type of insurance to pay for the visit, but he even sees the ones he knows cannot afford it. Around six o’ clock he attends a dinner meeting, where orthopedists gather and discuss new medical breakthroughs and different surgery techniques. Overall it is a typical, busy day. He heads home to rest and try to finish dictating a few charts.