Orthopedic Surgeons belong to the Medical Specialist occupation in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and provide trauma-focused orthopedic surgical care for CAF members, whether at Canadian Forces Health Services Clinics/operating theatres or overseas in support of peacekeeping or humanitarian missions.

Orthopedic Surgeons belong to the Medical Specialist occupation in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and provide trauma-focused orthopedic surgical care for CAF members, whether at Canadian Forces Health Services Clinics/operating theatres or overseas in support of peacekeeping or humanitarian missions. They have the opportunity to be a leader within the CAF Health Services, as well as a mentor and educator to other Health Services personnel including Medical Officers, Nursing Officers, Physician Assistants as well as Medical, Operating Room and Diagnostic Technicians.

Their primary responsibilities are to:

Provide orthopedic consultation/care for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Members in Canada.

Lead a surgical or emergent care team in the management of injured and ill patients in Canada and in deployed settings, internationally.

Educate and advise multidisciplinary teams on trauma and orthopedic care.

Maintain a high level of clinical currency by holding a position within a civilian health care facility.

Contribute to the development and application of health care policies within the CAF.

Work environment

Orthopedic Surgeons in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) maintain their clinical readiness by being embedded as staff in tertiary care civilian hospitals across Canada, working alongside their civilian colleagues. Part of their time may be spent providing consultative services to support Primary Care Clinicians at Canadian Forces Health Services Clinics in Canada. Participation in education and training tasks, as well as research opportunities, occur nationally and internationally.
They belong to 1 Canadian Field Hospitaland maintain their operational readiness by participating in annual military skills training and field exercises. When required, they will be called upon to deploy to unique and challenging clinical environments as part of a Health Services team on domestic and international operations.

Career Overview

Transcript

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Orthopedic Surgeon (Medical Specialist)

I'm Lieutenant-Colonel John McPherson, I'm an orthopedic surgeon. I'm currently practising in Kentville, Nova Scotia.

I joined the Canadian Armed Forces because I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon but do it in a place where I'd be able to work with different people, and an opportunity to practise it in different locations, and have experiences that people wouldn't normally have in Canada, working here.

Being in the military has allowed me to travel to different countries, and do my job in different environments with different people, and see different parts of the world that I never would have been able to see if I was just stuck working in the same hospital every day.

I'm being recognized on my civilian side for skills I've learned in the military, to become a leader – which I don't think that many people outside of the military would get that experience as just part of their day-to-day job, where being a leader is an expectation and you're trained to become a leader in the military.

I think the most rewarding aspect of my job is just seeing a member get back on his feet, to get back to work, to get him back to doing what he wants to do – and that's true on the civilian side, but when you see a military member whose expectations of what he wants to be able to do and what's expected of him, it's certainly rewarding to see him get there.

One of the moments that I had where I knew that I was doing what I wanted to do, was when I was stepping off the ramp of one of our transport aircrafts in the middle of the desert in Africa, looking around and seeing what was there and the people that were there – and that's when I knew that this is what I wanted to be doing. It was only me and my small team, we were the only ones there that could do the job that we were sent there do do.

Somebody who has a sense of adventure, teamwork, looking for a challenge – somebody who wants to make a difference – those are the types of people that will gravitate towards the military, and that's the type of people that we're looking for.

Pay and Benefits

A competitive compensation and benefits package is available for this medical specialization. Contact a Health Services Specialist Recruiter to learn more: [email protected]

If you are a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and have an unrestricted licence to practise in Orthopedic Surgery in a Canadian province or territory, you may be eligible for enrolment and to commence basic training.

To find out more information or to apply to the CAF as an Orthopedic Surgeon you can contact our recruiters at:

Please indicate in the subject line of your e-mail: MEDICAL SPECIALIST

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