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  1. Trauma and orthopaedic surgery

    Trauma and orthopaedic (T&O) surgeons diagnose and treat conditions of the musculoskeletal system including bones and joints and structures that enable movement such as ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. 

    Training usually starts with a five year first degree in medicine and two years of foundation training. You'll then do two years of core training (CT1–2), followed by five years specialist training (ST3-7). This period of training will include completing your royal college exams. Length of training can vary according to your circumstances.
    Working hours should not exceed 48 hours a week. The working hours may sometimes extend beyond the normal working day including early mornings, evenings and weekends. You will also need to be on call. The basic salary ranges from £29,384 to £34,012. Once you start your specialty training as a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon employed by the NHS, you can expect to earn a salary of at least £40,257, which can increase to between £84,559 and £114,003 as a consultant.
    You'll need excellent communication skills and be emotionally resilient, have a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure. You'll have the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams and have excellent problem-solving and diagnostic skills. As a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, you'll have: a high degree of manual dexterity; superb hand-eye co-ordination; excellent vision; visuospatial awareness and the physical stamina to cope with the demands of surgery.
    In 2020 there were 715 applications for 125 specialty training places, (a competition ratio of 5.72). There are currently 2,654 trauma and orthopaedic surgeons working in the NHS in England. You could specialise or conduct research in areas such a particular part of the body for example shoulders or elbows, joint reconstruction such as hip or knee, paediatric surgery, sports injury or complex trauma surgery. You could teach medical or postgraduate students.

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