May
So if you want to be a specialized surgeon, what route do you need to take..
examples:
1 if one wants to be an orthopedic surgeon and specialize in spine injuries… do you go for the ortho residency and then further specialize, or go into general surgery and then further specialize into ortho and then into spine..etc
2 for plastics, same question: general surgery then plastics…?
Basically if someone could explain how the whole system works I'd be much obliged.
Answer:
1. You can end up in spine either through ortho or neuro. They both have their own separate residencies you match into out of medical school.
2. Plastics is also its own residency OR you can get into it after completing a gen surg residency
Neuro, plastics, ortho, urology, and ENT are the “specialties” of surgery you match into out of medical school, as in they’ve their own separate residencies. Everything else falls under the “general surgery” umbrella - transplant, GI, oncological, cardiothoracic, minimally invasive, trauma, vascular, etc. i.e. you need to finish a general surgery residency before applying to those programs as fellowships.