Orthopedic Surgeon only in a hospital?

Question

What are their hours like?

What is their pay like?

Answer 1

This info a little dated.  My dad was one.

I just have to answer your 1st question by saying - Hospital?  no, most surgeons operate at the golf course - why would you think a surgeon would need a hospital?  

Actually, many can work out of clinics.  But generally, they will have hospital privledges.  

My dad worked 5-6-7 days a week 14-18 hrs a day.  As he got older he cut down to 11 - 12 hrs.  5.5 d/wk.  But in a group practice, you take turns being on call so it can be better for personal life.  They can get paid very well.  But pop had his own practice, rather than being a hospital employee.  The down side is that they are one of the most sued doctors.  People expect to be "as good as new" after surgery and it just never happens.  BTW, being on call means that he got calls at 3 a.m.  Often it was from people in real pain who had broken a finger or foot a week before and couldn't take the pain anymore.   They thought nothing of calling at 3 a.m.after not doing anything for days and days.

Orthos specialize now a days, the specialty is just too big and changes too fast now a days for one dr to be up on all the bones.  Orthos require (mostly) a fair amount of upper body strength (there are exceptions) and a surgery can require 6, 10, 12 hours.  Try just standing over a table for 4 hours and you'll begin to understand how difficult it can be.

But last year I was in a flower shop 20 miles from where I grew up and my dad had his practice.  The saleswoman looked at my name on my credit card and asked  if I was any relation to...  She then told me what a dramatic impact my dad had on her little brother and her whole family 40 years ago when he fixed the little boys legs.  Its a hard profession.  But what's a life worth?

Biggest problems are Medicare and Medicaid payments are rotten and you will spend too much time in court or with your lawyers.  Not a low stress job - but our government is any doctors problem.  I don;t know what the pay is now, but he put 6 kids thru college and lived in a 5 bedroom house, stay at home mom and a maid 2 days a week.

Answer 2

lowest working hours and highest pay , toughest to be ,

Answer 3

Orthopedists tend to have some of the worst hours of all practitioners. I live in the deep south, and when we get the rare ice storm, they're up all night replacing or pinning hips until they're physically unable to do any more, and they're back at it as soon as they can. They also have good income, very roughly in the area of $300k, and earn every penny. I don't envy them a bit.