Starting an Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at 32: Is this Reasonable?

Not if orthopedic surgery is what you want to do, since you'll spend most of that training time DOING surgery.

If what you want is a physician lifestyle, or at least a non-student lifestyle, then think carefully about residency length before committing.

I doubt anyone here is going to tell you that 40 is too old to start being an attending - lots of people on this forum will be starting medical school itself after 40.

Think of it this way.

Finish med school at 36.
Finish Ortho at 40. Or finish fellowship at 41-42.

That gives you 23-25 years as an attending until you're 65 (and I know many surgeons who worked past that).

Sounds like a career to me.

Starting medical school at 28 is just 2-4 years older than the "traditional" student. You are barely a nontrad applicant. If becoming a surgeon is not right for you, than I'm not sure who it's right for.

phospho said:

Starting medical school at 28 is just 2-4 years older than the "traditional" student. You are barely a nontrad applicant. If becoming a surgeon is not right for you, than I'm not sure who it's right for.

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i second this. i'll be the same age when i start school (hopefully). we're on the same timeline, brother!

Your biggest challenge will be getting into an ortho residency.
Age will not be an issue.

Kinesio said:

I want to ask you if it is unreasonable to choose such a demanding and long specialty if I will be done medical school by 32. I will be close to 40 by the time I am done all my training. Will I have any regrets?

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You are the only person who can answer this question. Each of us has to consider the pros and cons and make the decision that is right for us as individuals.

In my case, I enjoyed surgery and think I could be good at it. One rotation director even encouraged me to do it. However, I will be a 36-year-old intern. For me, that is too old to start a surgery residency + fellowship. First, surgery training is very intense, especially at the earlier levels of training. I am particularly concerned about the physical demands since I have back problems. Some days during my surgery and OB/gyn rotations were just excruciating. Second, there are other procedural specialties I'm interested in that will avoid this problem as well as allow me to finish training much sooner. I've been considering anesthesiology all along, and that's still at the top of my list. Finally, surgery is not an especially research-friendly specialty compared to many others. This is not surprising if you think about it, because you have to spend a significant amount of time in the OR if you want to be proficient. Also, most surgeons bring in far more money by operating than they do from research, which gives them and their departments a powerful disincentive against giving them protected research time. I don't like the odds that I might be pushed into being a full-time clinician if I went into surgery.

For all of those reasons, the closest I'm probably ever going to get to an orthopedic surgeon is when I get my knees replaced some day. But maybe you will conclude surgery is reasonable for you, and more power to you if you decide you want to go for it.

I am in the same boat and there is nothing wrong with it.

nontradfogie said:

Think of it this way.

Finish med school at 36.
Finish Ortho at 40. Or finish fellowship at 41-42.

That gives you 23-25 years as an attending until you're 65 (and I know many surgeons who worked past that).

Sounds like a career to me.

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I agree with this 100%. You should totally go for it. Don't leave yourself asking, "What if?" for the rest of your life.

I just finished FP residency at 40, you will be that age anyway you might as well do what you love to do. I have a friend who is a DO orthopedic surgeon. He did not match into surgery right after intern year and actually moonlighted for 3 years until a residency would take him. He finished around 40-41 and is very happy with what he does.

my take on this. i'm currently 32yo & an ortho spine surgical PA. applying in 2010. interest: ortho residency. if all goes well; will start residency at age 38.

Regrets... I'm sure you'll have a few... just remember to do things... your way.

Kinesio said:

I am a non-trad student who is 26 years old. I have finished all my pre-reqs in a basic post-bac program and I am currently working. If all goes well, I will begin medical school in the Fall 2010. I will be 28 then. I will be 32 once I finish medical school.

I really would like to become an orthopaedic surgeon. Now, I realize that it takes several years after finishing medical school to become an ortho surgeon and I will be in my late-30s when I am done.

I want to ask you if it is unreasonable to choose such a demanding and long specialty if I will be done medical school by 32. I will be close to 40 by the time I am done all my training. Will I have any regrets?

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This is utterly impossible. If you were 26 it would be completely possible but since you are at the super old age of 32 it is absolutely impossible.

princekc said:

my take on this. i'm currently 32yo & an ortho spine surgical PA. applying in 2010. interest: ortho residency. if all goes well; will start residency at age 38.

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Nice! Good luck, man.