Orthopaedic Surgeon
What the work is
Performs surgery to treat muscular and skeletal diseases and injuries.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Consults with patients to diagnose orthopaedic conditions and determines the need for surgical intervention
- Performs surgical procedures to treat musculoskeletal diseases and injuries
- Orders and interprets diagnostic tests, such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, to aid in diagnosis and treatment planning for muscular and skeletal diseases
- Prescribes treatments and medications following diagnosis of orthopaedic diseases or injuries
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a hospital surgical ward, outpatient clinic and operating theatre. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A patient who was in pain for years walks into clinic and thanks you for giving them their life back
- An operation goes exactly as planned because the team prepared well
- A trainee you supervise handles a hard moment well on their own
Hard days
- Telling a patient or family that the operation did not go as hoped
- Long days on your feet in theatre, followed by clinic and paperwork
- Decisions where the safest option is the one the patient least wants
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 264634, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.