Orthopaedic surgery is one of the most competitive fields in Australia. Any medical specialization takes at least nine years of your life to qualify. However, you could spend up to 15 years to become a qualified orthopaedic surgeon. That’s why it is better to have a roadmap that could guide you to become an orthopedic surgeon in Melbourne:
1. Attend A Medical School
You will have to enroll into a medical school. For that, you will need correlated qualifications in high school. It will take around four to six years for you to finish medical school. This provides you with the basics of becoming a doctor. It is an essential phase where you can explore various areas and develop your interest. Almost every medical career or specialization requires you to attend a medical school.
2. Get Internships
After medical school, you need to become a well-versed medical practitioner. For this, you will have to commit to at least two years of general training. You will work as an intern. The internship can be under a medical practitioner, a hospital, and so on. You will have a change in experience through doctors every 10 weeks. While the minimum requirement is two years, three years is an ideal experience. Make sure to get some orthopaedic experience during your internship years to reinforce your portfolio.
3. The PGY3 During Masters
There’s no doubt that you will have to enroll into a Master’s program to become an orthopaedic surgeon. Upon doing so, you will still have to keep up with your internships, and you might even get an opportunity to become an unaccredited registrar.
That’s where PGY3 comes into play. In some cases, after the first three years of post-graduation, you could become eligible for the AOA 21 training program. This is a great pathway to acquire FRACS and FAOrthA approvals.
4. Without PGY3 Or AOA21
If you don’t qualify for the above-given program, it’s alright. You can still pursue your passion, but it will take around four to six years of collective experience. Once you get selected, the five years of training program will prepare you as an orthopaedic surgeon. You will change the forte every six months to gain experience in every orthopaedic surgery field.
The best thing about the AOA21 course is that you can attempt it at least four times.
5. The Fellowship Program
Once you finish the studies and training, you will have to acquire the fellowship. This is the crucial stage of becoming an Orthopaedic Surgeon. You can enrol into the Australian Orthopaedic Association. It will take around two years at best to qualify. By this time, you will become a specialist surgeon.
Getting a fellowship is an integral part of becoming a qualified orthopaedic surgeon. Without it, you won’t be able to practice. There are a couple of fellowships available in Australia for you.
The Bottom Line
You might think that becoming a physiotherapist is easier. Things might seem daunting. It is not as challenging. As long as you’re committed to becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, you will acquire the position. It is all about commitment and dedication. As it is a precise specialisation, it does take time but pays off in the end.