how much physics involved with ortho residency?

[EclecticMind]

now before you even go there, yes... I realize that physics is involved in everything and every specialty. But in regards to an ortho residency, I would assume that there would be a lot of trig-based physics reading involved... you know, all that stuff like angles, vectors, torque, force, centripetal motion, etc, etc,. I really hope that I'm wrong on this because I'm thinking about ortho now and I actually hated college physics... thought it was the most boring science I had... but that's just me though. I'm just not real familiar with what all kinesiology (maybe I spelled that right) entails, but I would just assume a lot of the same principles that are introduced in college physics. Please enlighten me.

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[kinetic]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

What, you think Ortho guys are huddled in the call room with some textbooks on advanced number theory as it pertains to the resolution of vector directives?

Thor*: "Come on, Lance, let's hit the gym!"
Lance: "What?? Who can think of pumping iron with all of these unsolved derivatives sitting around? Would you stop goofing around."
(The door opens and a medical student bursts in.)
Student: "Hey, guys! The newest issue of Playboy hit the stands! You guys check it out?"
*Looks of disgust flash across the faces of the assorted Ortho residents.*


* You have to have names like this to be in Ortho. Also, you have to be able to say these names without dissolving into laughter to be in Ortho.

 

[jakstat33]

believe it or not, at my institution the ortho residents (haven't seen attendings do this) actually wear tank tops under their white coats in the clinic, no shirt and tie...

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

What, you think Ortho guys are huddled in the call room with some textbooks on advanced number theory as it pertains to the resolution of vector directives?

Thor*: "Come on, Lance, let's hit the gym!"
Lance: "What?? Who can think of pumping iron with all of these unsolved derivatives sitting around? Would you stop goofing around."
(The door opens and a medical student bursts in.)
Student: "Hey, guys! The newest issue of Playboy hit the stands! You guys check it out?"
*Looks of disgust flash across the faces of the assorted Ortho residents.*


* You have to have names like this to be in Ortho. Also, you have to be able to say these names without dissolving into laughter to be in Ortho.

 

[Apollyon]

When I was on Trauma last month, we had a woman with burst fractures of the T spine. Mildly tender, no neuro deficit, not in the canal. I call ortho, they take FOREVER before they even saw the consult. I go home, come back the next morning, and read the consult, and see the angles and these crazy diagrams - I didn't know there was a "top spine guy" here, and so, they have to break out the protractor and lay it on the plain films. I thought they were gonna self-destruct!

 

[kinetic]

When I was on Trauma last month, we had a woman with burst fractures of the T spine. Mildly tender, no neuro deficit, not in the canal. I call ortho, they take FOREVER before they even saw the consult. I go home, come back the next morning, and read the consult, and see the angles and these crazy diagrams - I didn't know there was a "top spine guy" here, and so, they have to break out the protractor and lay it on the plain films. I thought they were gonna self-destruct!

I can corroborate this anecdote; I was there. Here it is, in it's entirety.


Thur, May 20
6:10 PM
Ortho Attend. Note

Have seen and examined pt. as per resident note and agree with above. VSS. Noted mild tenderness to palpation lateral to thoracic spine, no pain to palpation of spinal canal. (-) sensory/motor deficits noted on exam. Examination of PA/lat T-spine films shows burst fxs. Noted diagrams as below. Analysis would seem to indicate that burst fxs were as direct result of high-energy impact at 50 degree acute angle to the coronal plane. Will refrain from high-dose corticosteroids at this time due to lack of neurologic findings, but pt. requires stabilization of spinal column. Will plan to OR in AM.

Summary: Pt. looks hot. Nice breasts (err), BREASTUSES. Good figure. To OR in AM.

 

[flighterdoc]

now before you even go there, yes... I realize that physics is involved in everything and every specialty. But in regards to an ortho residency, I would assume that there would be a lot of trig-based physics reading involved... you know, all that stuff like angles, vectors, torque, force, centripetal motion, etc, etc,. I really hope that I'm wrong on this because I'm thinking about ortho now and I actually hated college physics... thought it was the most boring science I had... but that's just me though. I'm just not real familiar with what all kinesiology (maybe I spelled that right) entails, but I would just assume a lot of the same principles that are introduced in college physics. Please enlighten me.

Do orthopods know how to even SPELL physics?

 

[AznDoc]

Why do many people find it necessary to deduce orthopedic surgeons to mindless, steroids induced baffoons? I thought that ortho surgery was one of the hardest residencies to get into, requiring an applicant to have insane board scores, AOA, and some serious research. If that is the case, it doesn't seem as if the whole "I'm an orthopod and an idiot" stereotype fits. Or...maybe I just don't know enough of them.

 

[flighterdoc]

Why do many people find it necessary to deduce orthopedic surgeons to mindless, steroids induced baffoons? I thought that ortho surgery was one of the hardest residencies to get into, requiring an applicant to have insane board scores, AOA, and some serious research. If that is the case, it doesn't seem as if the whole "I'm an orthopod and an idiot" stereotype fits. Or...maybe I just don't know enough of them.

Wow. Maybe because they are? For example, the word you were looking for is "reduce", which happens to also be a procedure that orthopods are proficient at.

 

[AznDoc]

You're right, I stand corrected. The word I am looking for was "reduce". Maybe this means I am on the right track to orthopedics.

 

[jakstat33]

notice how many ortho docs frequent "da boards"? 😉

 

[!dr_nick!]

I can see it now... first day of an ortho residency:
Attending physician: "Alright Nick, lets calculate the amount of torque needed to snap this bone back in place... now what was that formula? Force times distance times cosine, or was it sine, theta?"
Nick: "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

And then I wake up in a cold sweat.

 

[ortho2003]

Why do many people find it necessary to deduce orthopedic surgeons to mindless, steroids induced baffoons? I thought that ortho surgery was one of the hardest residencies to get into, requiring an applicant to have insane board scores, AOA, and some serious research. If that is the case, it doesn't seem as if the whole "I'm an orthopod and an idiot" stereotype fits. Or...maybe I just don't know enough of them.

it's simple...a combination or jealousy and an inferiority complex. Ripping or orthopods makes people feel better about their inferior specialties and abilities and they are jealous because they know they don't have the numbers to match ortho and won't have the incomes of the orthopods when in practice.


As for the original question, ortho does require an understanding of concepts in physics, such as lever arms andforce vectors. There is also some geometry in determining position for total joint components and displacement of fractures, but you are not required to carry a slide rule and a calculator everywhere you go.

 

[flighterdoc]

You're right, I stand corrected. The word I am looking for was "reduce". Maybe this means I am on the right track to orthopedics.

Well, there are only two requirements for orthos - "Strong like ox, and half as smart".

 

[kinetic]

I can see it now... first day of an ortho residency:
Attending physician: "Alright Nick, lets calculate the amount of torque needed to snap this bone back in place... now what was that formula? Force times distance times cosine, or was it sine, theta?"
Nick: "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

And then I wake up in a cold sweat.

Relax. It's more like:

Attending physician: "Alright, Nick, let's calculate the amount of torque needed to snap this bone back in place ..."
Nick: "NOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Attending: "Ha ha ha. Just kidding. You grab that end and pull real hard."
Nick: "YEEEEESSSSS!!!"

 

[!dr_nick!]

LOL, GOOD. Glad to hear that!! 😀