Orthopaedic Surgery residency interview questions
Orthopaedic surgery interviewers listen for a commitment to the field that has been tested by real exposure, and for someone who will be reliable and coachable on a close team. They also want to see that you care about function and recovery, not only the operation.
- Reliable and coachable
- Focus on function and recovery
- Steady on call
What orthopaedic surgery programs ask
Questions about the specialty itself, beside the ones every program asks.
A nurse calls about a patient after leg surgery whose pain is much worse than expected and not settling with medication. What are you worried about, and what do you do?
- What they're listening for
- Whether you recognize a possible limb-threatening emergency and act on it rather than adding more pain medication.
- How to answer
- Go and examine the patient now, keep compartment syndrome and other urgent causes in mind, and check the limb (pain on passive stretch, sensation, circulation, a tight cast or dressing). Call your senior at once rather than waiting.
- Where it goes wrong
- Ordering more pain medication over the phone.
A trauma patient arrives with an obvious open fracture, and everyone's eyes go to the leg. What do you keep in mind?
- What they're listening for
- Whether you put life-threatening problems first and avoid being distracted by the obvious injury.
- How to answer
- Say that the trauma team's primary survey comes first (airway, breathing, circulation) and that a dramatic limb injury can hide a more dangerous one. Then describe your part: checking the limb's circulation and nerves, documenting and keeping your senior informed.
- Where it goes wrong
- Going straight to the fracture.
How do you judge whether an orthopaedic operation was a success for the patient?
- What they're listening for
- Whether you see the goal as the patient's function and life, not only a good X-ray.
- How to answer
- Talk about the patient's own goals (walking, work, sport), rehabilitation and physical therapy, pain and expectations, and a patient whose recovery you followed.
- Where it goes wrong
- Defining success only by the imaging or the operation.
Orthopaedic teams work closely, especially on call. What kind of co-resident would you be on a hard night?
- What they're listening for
- Whether you will be reliable and easy to work with when it counts.
- How to answer
- Give an example of helping a teammate when you were busy too (taking a task, covering a gap) and say how you let people know when you need help yourself.
- Where it goes wrong
- Talking only about your own work ethic, with nobody else in the story.
What have you seen of an orthopaedic resident's day, and what surprised you about it?
- What they're listening for
- Whether you know the daily work, including the early starts, the clinic and the call, not only the operating room.
- How to answer
- Draw on a rotation, sub-internship or observership: a typical day, something you were trusted with, something that surprised you, and what you learned about how residents work together.
- Where it goes wrong
- Describing only the cases you watched in the operating room.
Which areas of orthopaedics interest you: sports, trauma, spine, joints, hand, pediatrics, oncology or foot and ankle?
- What they're listening for
- Whether your interest comes from real exposure, and what you want from training.
- How to answer
- Name one or two areas, the cases or mentors behind them, and that you want broad exposure before you decide.
- Where it goes wrong
- Choosing an area because of a personal sport, with no clinical experience of it.
The questions every program asks
Expect these too. Each is explained in full on the main questions page.
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why orthopaedic surgery?
- Why are you interested in this program?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a colleague or team member.
- Tell me about a mistake you made in patient care, and what happened.
- That's everything from me. What questions do you have for us?
Questions to ask orthopaedic surgery programs
Ask what their website doesn't answer. These show you have thought about training there.
- How does operative autonomy grow from intern year to chief year?
- How are interns supported in their first months, especially on call?
- How do residents practice skills outside the operating room, for example in a skills lab?
- How is research supported, and is there protected time for it?
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