Silly questions from a pre-med (orthopedics/sports med-related)

[Repo Man]

Hello all, I know this isn't really my section of the forum, but I thought I'd get some advice from you sagely individuals. I've been leaning towards orthopedics because I'd like to do sports medicine (and, of course, I recognize that it's too soon to say definitively as I haven't even gone to med school to do rotations yet), and I have some related questions:

1. Are some med schools better than others at preparing you for a career in orthopedics/sports medicine? I know that sports medicine is a specialty for which a fellowship is usually done, so I guess I'm mostly asking whether some med schools provide better preparation for the field of orthopedics than others (analogous to how a certain college might have a better Chemistry department than others).

2. When it comes to sports medicine, what are the advantages of being an orthopedist over being a physiatrist and vice-versa? Again, I know I won't have to make this decision for another few years, but I'm just curious .

3. I'm currently an exercise science major, and I thought about pursuing graduate work because I enjoy the subject and I thought it would give me a fuller knowledge of sports medicine. However, I'm quickly learning that MD/PhD programs are primarily for those who want to research, and I'd rather be treating patients. Would it be a good idea to at least pursue a Master's degree, or will I learn everything I need to know about biomechanics and kinesiology during medical school/fellowship?


Looking forward to some replies... If I sound dumb, then please be gentle ...

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[Tired]

Random opinions from a soon-to-be intern. Take it for what it's worth.

1. Are some med schools better than others at preparing you for a career in orthopedics/sports medicine? I know that sports medicine is a specialty for which a fellowship is usually done, so I guess I'm mostly asking whether some med schools provide better preparation for the field of orthopedics than others (analogous to how a certain college might have a better Chemistry department than others).

Some schools allow for time with Ortho during the MS3 surgery rotation (mine did not). The general feeling is that medical schools in general are poor at providing preparation for musculoskeletal medicine (citations available on request). Obviously higher-tier schools will offer you a better chance of matching into Ortho, but as to actual "preparation" I doubt there is much of a difference. Just my opinion though.

2. When it comes to sports medicine, what are the advantages of being an orthopedist over being a physiatrist and vice-versa? Again, I know I won't have to make this decision for another few years, but I'm just curious .

Ortho is surgery. Bang this into your head, and smack your classmates who think Orthopods are "Sports Med Docs who operate once in a while". There is a huge difference between the fields, especially in the manner that physicians evaluate problems and their treatment orientation. IMHO, Ortho is much more interesting, whereas Sports Med seems to keep patients who suffer from 'non-specific complaints' and chronic pain syndromes. If you don't believe me, rotate through Sports Med and see what kind of patients come back for return visits, and which ones are sent on to see Ortho.

3. I'm currently an exercise science major, and I thought about pursuing graduate work because I enjoy the subject and I thought it would give me a fuller knowledge of sports medicine. However, I'm quickly learning that MD/PhD programs are primarily for those who want to research, and I'd rather be treating patients. Would it be a good idea to at least pursue a Master's degree, or will I learn everything I need to know about biomechanics and kinesiology during medical school/fellowship?

Residency will train you in what you need to know to be a competent Orthopedic surgeon. If you want a greater degree of knowledge in those fields, obviously a Masters or PhD might suit you better. I don't know anyone who has done this, and from a common sense standpoint it seems of dubious value, if you really want to be a surgeon and not primarily a researcher.