Is the orthopedic generalist moving toward extinction?

Medical students are influenced in their career choice by many factors. By government mandate, 50% of medical students from each graduating class should select primary care as their career choice. Peers and mentors contribute additional influences. The student's personality, preference for living in a rural or urban community, and the possible educational and cultural opportunities for self and/or family in a particular community are also influential factors. The medical student choosing orthopedic surgery as a professional career faces competition; there are four applicants for each residency opening, and the number of orthopedic residents allowed for each program is being reduced. The current belief of policy-makers both outside and within orthopedics is that there are "too many specialists of all kinds." The present article examines the factors that influence the medical student's choice in career selection and shows the present trend of clinical practices.