The job that everyone is asking themselves is, What is the best position for you in the orthopedist field?
But it’s not quite the same as what you might expect, says Dr. William Coughlin, a medical school dean and chairman of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
The position is not a career for everyone.
“You’re not necessarily going to be making as much money as an orthopedists and orthopedias.
You’re going to have to have the experience, you’re going for the top job, you have to be an elite athlete,” Coughlins said.
Orthopedic surgeons make about $100,000 to $150,000 annually, Coughelsons wife said.
But many of the jobs pay more than that, like the $200,000 that’s earned in orthopedical surgery.
There are a lot of opportunities in the health care industry, especially for people who are doing specialty work, such as a family physician or dermatologist, said Dr. David C. Strayer, a professor of orthopedica and musculosodontology at University of Florida.
The average salary in the field is $120,000.
The median salary in orthodontics is $60,000, according to the American Academy of Orthodontic Surgeons.
Orthodists also make more money than their orthopedial counterparts in other professions, said Robert M. Tatum, dean of the University of Texas at Austin School of Medicine and director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the hospital there.
The American Association of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine estimates orthodists make $110,000 per year, while the American College of Surgeons says orthodist salaries range from $78,000 in New York to $155,000 at private institutions.
Doctors in the medical field are increasingly looking for jobs in other areas, such the health service sector, and in the fields of nutrition, pediatrics, nursing and public health.
The shortage of surgeons is expected to continue for years to come.
And while the shortage is not new, the lack of medical school graduates could be a concern for orthopedicians and orthopaedic surgeons, Tatum said.
“The people that are graduating from medical school are not as good, or as good-trained, or are doing better jobs,” he said.
“I have a little bit of hope,” Cufflin said.
It’s possible to make a living as an an orthodologist.
“I think it’s still the best profession in America.
There’s a lot more of these jobs that need to be filled,” Cougelsons said.
So, what’s next?
Coughins work is in jeopardy because of a proposed bill to require health care workers to be licensed and have a license to practice.
It would have eliminated a loophole that allowed people with private insurance to practice in the state.
The bill, which passed the Senate and has not yet been heard in the House, would have required health care professionals to have a medical license, which would have included a license for orthopeds.
Orthopaedics is already regulated by the states, but there is no state-level regulation of the orthotic industry.
