Orthopedic Doctors.  What do they do?

Our Atlanta Orthopedic doctors are surgeons who specialize in musculoskeletal care.  This care ranges from broken arms and legs to knee, hip & shoulder surgery and arthritis treatment to sports medicine.  While there are many different fields within Orthopedic surgery, our Atlanta Orthopedic doctors are capable of performing nearly all procedures related to the extremities (arms and legs).
Orthopedic doctors frequently are involved with "trauma" call.  This is where an Orthopedic doctor is "on call" in an Emergency Room and if there is anyone who comes in with a broken arm or leg, they will then take care of the patient.
Orthopedic doctors also perform sports medicine.  In sports medicine, it ranges from being team physicians for community sports teams to performing complex surgeries such as rotator cuff repairs, labral repairs, ACL surgery, knee arthroscopy and shoulder arthroscopy. The goal of our Atlanta Orthopedic doctors is to restore motion and stability to the joints and bones of the body to enable you to return to full function!

Two men running after they have had hip replacement surgery. This is one of the highest satisfacation procedures in Orthopedics!

What is required to become an Orthopedic doctor?

We get asked all the time in the office how much school we did. The answer- just 9 years after college?  In order to become an Orthopedic surgeon, you must complete the following:
4 years of undergraduate
4 years of medical school (M.D.)
5 years of Orthopedic Residency

Orthopedic doctors go through a rigorous training in order to become credentialed.

What is an intern?  What is a resident?

An intern is simply the title of the doctor during the 1st year of the 5 year residency.  The intern is usually the youngest doctor who is just out of medical school. 
A resident is the years 2-5 of residency.  As you have more training, you become more senior of a resident and begin to do more cases and gain independence.  The "Chief Resident" is the most senior resident, usually with extra activities assigned to them to help teach the younger residents.

What is a "Board Certified" Orthopedic Surgeon?

A board certified Orthopedic surgeon has completed all requirements mandated by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS).  These involve maintenance of education credits- basically continued education and passing rigorous exams showing proficiency in the field of Orthopedic Surgery.

The ABOS issues Board Certification

What is the AAOS?

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons is the main group of Orthopedic doctors in the country that collaborate to ensure better patient outcomes.

The AAOS is the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.  It is composed of Orthopedic doctors from around the United States.  It uses research and data to help guide surgeons to give the best clinical outcomes.