Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric

A look at the work

• Analyze patient's medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and examination results to verify operation's necessity and to determine best procedure.
• Conduct research to develop and test surgical techniques that can improve operating procedures and outcomes related to musculoskeletal injuries and diseases.
• Diagnose bodily disorders and orthopedic conditions, and provide treatments, such as medicines and surgeries, in clinics, hospital wards, or operating rooms.
• Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
• Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff.
• Examine instruments, equipment, and operating room to ensure sterility.
• Examine patient to obtain information on medical condition and surgical risk.
• Follow established surgical techniques during the operation.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Skill observations are not available in the current source release.

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 5 of 5 · 2021-11. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Medicine →

Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy →

Surgery of the Hand Fellowship Program →

Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program →

Orthopedic Surgery of the Spine Fellowship Program →

Orthopedic Surgery Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 29-1242.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.