Orthopedic Surgery Rotation : Practical Strategies for Success for Senior Medical Students

The 4th year of medical school represents an important transition with new goals and expectations. Matching into orthopedic surgery residency is increasingly competitive. Performing well on orthopedic surgery rotations during the 4th year of medical school is critical for match success. The goal of this guide book is to help students ace their orthopedic rotations. Orthopedic Surgery Rotation focuses on practical tips for success from optimal study resources, key technical skills, and strategies for being a standout orthopedic team player. Each chapter is written by current orthopedic residents, who not only know from personal experience on how to excel but also are actively involved in evaluating the performance of 4th year medical students. < This book will serve as tool to propel students to the next level and help them start their journey as orthopedists on the right foot. Preface 5 About the Editors and Authors 6 Acknowledgments 8 Contents 9 Chapter 1: Rotating at Your Home Institution 10 Goals 12 Preparation: Before Starting 13 The Players 14 Medical Student Role 16 Common Sense 17 Strategies for Being a Standout Team Player 18 What Makes a Good Medical Student: Pearls from Residents and Faculty 18 How You’re Being Evaluated 19 Pearls from PGY-1s 19 Chapter 2: The Outpatient Setting 21 General Preparation 22 What to Bring? 22 Arriving at Clinic 23 What Do I Do? 23 History and Physical Exam 24 Reading Radiographs 26 Procedures 29 Suture Removal 29 Staple Removal 30 Joint Injection 30 Subspecialty Clinics 32 Most Commonly Encountered Conditions 32 Trauma 32 Adult Reconstruction 33 Pediatrics 34 Growth Plate Fractures 34 Developmental Hip Dysplasia (DDH) 35 Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) 36 Spine 37 Myelopathy Versus Radiculopathy 37 Hand 38 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 38 Trigger Finger 39 Foot and Ankle, Sports Medicine/Shoulder, and Elbow/Oncology 40 Conclusion 41 Chapter 3: The Inpatient Setting 42 Rounding 43 Note Writing 44 Total Joints 44 Upper Extremity Trauma 47 Lower Extremity Fracture 48 Spine 49 Motor Scale 50 Oral Presentations 51 Casting/Splinting 51 Taking Call 54 Chapter 4: The Operating Room 61 Preparing a Patient for the Operating Room 61 Operating Room 64 Preparation 64 Introduction 65 Scrubbing 65 During the Case 66 Ways to Help in the OR 66 What Not to Do in the OR 67 Postoperative 67 Postoperative Check 68 Common Pimping Questions 69 Total Hip Arthroplasty 69 Anterior Approach 69 Lateral Approach 70 Posterior Approach 70 Other Total Hip Arthroplasty Questions 70 Total Knee Arthroplasty 71 Lower Extremity Questions 71 Knee Arthroscopy 73 Upper Extremity Questions 73 Shoulder and Elbow 73 Hand 75 Spine 76 Pediatrics 77 Chapter 5: Top Resources 79 Textbooks 79 Apps/Smartphone 81 Email Access 81 Note Taking 82 Box/Dropbox/Other Web Data-Hosting Service App 82 PDF Reader/CHM Reader 82 Medical Calculation App 83 AO Surgery Reference 83 BioDigital Human 83 Traumapedia 84 Industry Applications 84 Additional Smartphone Apps 84 Epocrates 84 Touch Surgery 85 Online Resources 85 Orthobullets 85 Orthogate 86 Student Doctor Network (SDN) 87 VuMedi 87 Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (aka Yellow Journal) 88 PubMed 88 Pocket References 88 Small Notebook 89 Rotation Dependent Materials 90 Hand 90 Pediatrics 91 Medicalc App 91 Sports 91 Shoulder/Elbow 92 Spine 92 Trauma 93 AO Surgical Reference 93 Traumapedia/Tarascon/Tolerances 93 Handbook of Fractures 93 Foot/Ankle 94 Joints 94 Industry Applications 94 AO Surgical Reference 94 Tumor 95 Bonetumor.org and Tumorpedia 95 Chapter 6: The Away Rotation 96 Purpose and Significance 97 Goals 98 Away Selection Strategy: When, Where, How 100 When 100 Where 101 How 102 Preparation: Before Starting 103 Evaluations 104 Letters of Recommendation 105 What Makes a Good Away Rotator? 106 Chapter 7: Landing a Residency Position 109 Applying 109 General Considerations and Timeline 109 Fees 111 Where to Apply? 112 The Application 113 Experiences 113 Publications 114 Hobbies and Interests 114 Letters of Recommendation 115 Sample Personal Statement 117 Curriculum Vitae (CV) 119 Application Evaluation: What Program Directors Are Looking For 119 Evaluation of the Preclinical Years 119 Evaluation of the Clinical Years 121 The Interview 124 Interview Invites 124 Interview Social 126 Location 127 Program 127 Clinical 128 Education 128 Research 128 Interview Day 129 Preparation 129 Interviews 130 Interviewing 131 Sample Interview Questions 134 Interviewee Questions 134 Postinterview Correspondence 135 What to Consider When Evaluating Programs 136 Location 137 Hospital 138 Faculty and Administration 138 Curriculum 139 Operative and Clinic Experiences 139 Research 139 Residents 140 Didactics, OITE, Educational Resources 140 Benefits 141 The Ranking Process 141 Making Your Rank List 141 Ranking 143 Determine in What Order These Items Rank in Importance to You 144 Where Will You Be Happiest? 144 How Will You Learn the Best? 145 How Will You Use Your Time Outside of Your Clinical Responsibilities? 145 Appendix 147 Sample Student Evaluation 148 Sample CV 149 List of Orthopedic Residency Programs 150 References 163 Index 164 Front Matter....Pages i-xi Rotating at Your Home Institution....Pages 1-11 The Outpatient Setting....Pages 13-33 The Inpatient Setting....Pages 35-53 The Operating Room....Pages 55-72 Top Resources....Pages 73-89 The Away Rotation....Pages 91-103 Landing a Residency Position....Pages 105-142 Back Matter....Pages 143-164