Orthopaedic surgeons are highly trained medical specialists who are involved in all aspects of health-care related to the musculoskeletal system. Their scope of practice includes medical, physical, rehabilitative and surgical methods. Orthopaedic surgery may be required to restore loss of function or mobility due to illness or injury. Click through the sections below to learn more.
Orthopaedic Residency Training
There are 17 orthopaedic residency training programs in Canada. The objectives of residency training in orthopaedics are best defined by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. After the final year of residency training, orthopaedic residents are required to complete written and oral examinations conducted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Resident Membership in the COA
Orthopaedic residents are not automatically members of the COA. Residents must apply for Associate membership by completing and submitting a membership application form which will be reviewed and processed by the Membership Department. Resident members of the COA members are not required to pay annual membership dues or pay Annual Meeting registration fees during the early-bird registration period. Your Associate membership will be renewed automatically each year on your behalf throughout your residency and subspecialty (fellowship) training. Learn more about Associate membership within the COA.
Canadian Orthopaedic Residents’ Association (CORA) CORA is the national association for Canadian orthopaedic resident doctors. CORA fosters resident research and education, stages the CORA Annual Meeting, represents the interests and concerns of orthopaedic residents to the COA, and promotes improvements in the residency training programs. All orthopaedic resident doctors in Canada are automatically granted membership to CORA. Visit the CORA section of our web site.
An orthopaedic fellowship usually designates a period of post-residency training that includes specific academic requirements. The reasons for pursuing a fellowship may include the desire to develop special skills and interests in a subspecialty area or to pursue the opportunity to do further research and training in preparation for an academic career.
Canadian Fellowship Opportunities
A listing of available orthopaedic fellowships in Canada are listed below by program and by subspecialty/area of interest. If you would like to add your program’s orthopaedic fellowship to the listing or need to update your existing fellowship description, please e-mail info@canorth.org for information.
Canadian Fellowships by Subspecialty
Canadian Fellowships by Program If you are interested in any of the fellowships listed below, please contact the centres directly.
Information about the match process involved with pursuing an orthopaedic fellowship in the United States can be found through the SF Match. The AAOS Postgraduate Orthopaedic Fellowship Directory also provides a listing of fellowships available in the USA. This is printed on a yearly basis and is available for purchase through the AAOS.
United States Fellowship Information by Subspecialty Society
The Medical Council of Canada and the local provincial licensing body, namely the College of Physicians and Surgeons of each individual province, govern the ability to practice medicine in Canada. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada govern one’s specialty status.
Licensure to practice medicine in Canada requires an approved internship and the completion of the Evaluating Examination of the Medical Council of Canada. In some instances, the Qualifying Examination of the Medical Council of Canada may also be required.
In order to clarify your status, we would suggest you write to:
The Medical Council of Canada Box 8234 / Station “T” Ottawa,
Ontario K1G 3H7 CANADA
Tel.: 613 521-6012
Fax: 613 521-9417
Web: http://www.mcc.ca
In addition, each individual province in Canada has requirements, which in some cases may be different from others. These requirements must be fulfilled before one can practice medicine as an orthopaedic surgeon. Information in this regard can be obtained from the provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons in each province.
Insofar as your status as a qualified orthopaedic surgeon is concerned, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada can undertake an assessment of your previous training as an orthopaedic surgeon and provide a decision whether or not this qualifies you for specialist status to practice as an orthopaedic surgeon in Canada. Their address is:
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
774 Promenade Echo Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5N8
CANADA
Tel.: 613 730-8177
Toll-free: 1-800-668-3740
Fax: 613 730-8830
Web: http://rcpsc.medical.org