Studies & Degrees in Traumatological Surgery
Choose where you would like to study Traumatological Surgery:
NigeriaRussiaThe United StatesUkraineTraumatological surgery, or trauma surgery as it is better known, is a discipline that is an integral part of providing proper medical attention to severely injured patients. Trauma critical care is a branch that deals with making critical decisions on the medical treatment to be given to badly injured patients, and a trauma surgeon will often find himself taking major decisions that could determine the life span of a patient.
Qualifications Required / Acquired
An aspiring trauma surgeon must be made of steel – weak hearted can’t digest the sight and thoughts of grievously injured patients. Trauma critical care is not for you if you can’t handle making heavy weight decisions that could affect the life of a patient. A trauma surgeon must also be proficient in theoretical and practical knowledge, and must be well versed with a wide range of medical sub-sets.
Courses for Trauma Surgery
Trauma surgery courses are provided at their best in United States of America and United Kingdom. Most universities in developing and under-developed nations do not offer trauma surgery as a course as the course calls for sophisticated equipment that weigh down on funds, or because the health care system is not well managed to provide employment opportunities to the students of this discipline, resulting in a lack of interested students.
In USA and UK, trauma surgery is among the options of specialization that are offered to be chosen by students pursuing their Doctor of Medicine degree. Apart from the general medicine program, you must complete a one-year trauma surgery program or a two-year combined fellowship program where you will have ample hands-on experience.
Trauma surgery fellowship is a course that provides you with the clinical and administrative skills that enable you to handle the worst patients rolled in to the emergency wards of hospitals. You will also be trained to develop the leadership skills required to handle trauma cases, lead nursing teams and take balanced decisions.
Surgical critical care fellowships include trauma surgery in their list, apart from dealing with advanced burns, pediatrics and organ transplantation.
In UK, Definitive Surgical Trauma Skills (DSTC) developed by Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal Defence Medical College and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is the widely accepted course that is taken up by trauma surgeon aspirants.
Career Options
A trauma surgeon in developed countries will find the best job opportunities as the elite specialization is not treated with the same respect all over the world. Trauma surgeons are in demand to facilitate the health care systems to provide better treatment to severely injured patients. In USA, you will need to acquire license and certification to be able to practice, in accordance with the terms of whichever state you choose to work in. Passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and having 1 – 3 years of residency to your credit are the most popular requirements to be met to be a trauma surgeon. American Board of Surgery (ABS) is another department that you need to communicate with.