Orthopedic Resident Pursuing Engineering Degree

[almo0318]

I am an orthopedic resident who is planning to be an academic trauma surgeon. I already have a self-taught background in many engineering topics and statistics but I'd like to up the ante. After my second year is finished, I was hoping to either get my B.S in mechanical engineering and a B.S. in stats. With that said, I don't want to waste time and money. Are there certificates and courses that can teach me similar knowledge without biting off so much more schooling/debt? Or is academia the best bet?

Thanks!

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[OrthoTraumaMD]

I am an orthopedic resident who is planning to be an academic trauma surgeon. I already have a self-taught background in many engineering topics and statistics but I'd like to up the ante. After my second year is finished, I was hoping to either get my B.S in mechanical engineering and a B.S. in stats. With that said, I don't want to waste time and money. Are there certificates and courses that can teach me similar knowledge without biting off so much more schooling/debt? Or is academia the best bet?

Thanks!

Speaking as an academic orthopaedic trauma surgeon, i see no purpose in the degree. Why do you feel you need it?

 

[almo0318]

Speaking as an academic orthopaedic trauma surgeon, i see no purpose in the degree. Why do you feel you need it?

Two reasons:

The first is just to genuinely increase my foundation of knowledge in those two subjects. I have always just learned what I needed to as I went in those areas. I figure I could be a more productive research/innovator if I had a stronger foundation in those two subjects (although feel free to call me on that if you think differently.)

Second, I come from a very blue-collar program (we cover the only two level-1 hospitals in the city with only 4 residents a year). We operate a ton but our research infrastructure is poor. I know I won't be able to compete with an applicant who has the institutional infrastructure to author many papers a year. Our last few residents who went trauma (who were very well trained and highly competent) didn't get interviews at the big-time programs like Harborview and Shock. I think part of that is that we don't have big names writing our letters. Also, even our highest producing research resident here is only pumping out a couple of papers a year. I figure some more academic credentialing could increase my chances of those highly prestigious places being interested in me. Ideally, I would be able to go to conferences and network but in the age of COVID, that seems less and less likely.

Thoughts?

 

[ceilingfan019]

MPH programs teach biostats well. Some are also just 1 year so would be more cost-effective than a bachelor stats degree.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Two reasons:

The first is just to genuinely increase my foundation of knowledge in those two subjects. I have always just learned what I needed to as I went in those areas. I figure I could be a more productive research/innovator if I had a stronger foundation in those two subjects (although feel free to call me on that if you think differently.)

Second, I come from a very blue-collar program (we cover the only two level-1 hospitals in the city with only 4 residents a year). We operate a ton but our research infrastructure is poor. I know I won't be able to compete with an applicant who has the institutional infrastructure to author many papers a year. Our last few residents who went trauma (who were very well trained and highly competent) didn't get interviews at the big-time programs like Harborview and Shock. I think part of that is that we don't have big names writing our letters. Also, even our highest producing research resident here is only pumping out a couple of papers a year. I figure some more academic credentialing could increase my chances of those highly prestigious places being interested in me. Ideally, I would be able to go to conferences and network but in the age of COVID, that seems less and less likely.

Thoughts?

Unless you’re interested in running a lab, there is no upside to spending your time and money on a degree that you will not use professionally. Most orthopedic trauma surgeons are neither researchers nor innovators, it is actually very difficult to be an innovator because a lot of things have already been made… But if you want to do that, you don’t need an engineering degree to understand what is missing in the field.

My other question is ...Why do you want to go to a big-name program?