Orthopaedic trauma career and employment horizons: identification of career destinations and opportunities.

The trauma opportunities: The numbers are 260 verified sites (American College of Surgeons), 1100 Centers performing as Regional or Community Trauma Centers currently in the continental 48 states, and 3256 hospitals performing in-patient orthopaedic surgery. Orthopaedic trauma surgeons still represent <10% of the total national surgeon complement. This component speaks to the demand side. Presently, there are >60 Traumatology Fellows annually. This represents the supply side that has the potential to graduate in 2013 and beyond. These individuals face a wide variety of career options not previously available to past generations, but one has to know the business model differentiators to be successful: employed-employee (most common, least sustainable historically); employed-partner; partner-contract for service; partner-private practice; private practice-hospital partner (least common, most productive).