About

Many Foundation Doctors and Core Surgical Trainees start their orthopaedic rotations with little previous experience in Trauma and Orthopaedics. This can make it difficult to manage patients confidently on the wards, recognise post-operative problems, or know how to respond during on-calls.

This half-day course is designed to give trainees a practical introduction to the key aspects of orthopaedic care. It focuses on what trainees are most likely to encounter in day-to-day ward work and on-call situations. The teaching is delivered by current registrars or post-MRCS trainees who understand the challenges faced early in training.

Each session is tailored to the expected level of knowledge for Foundation Doctors and Core Trainees. The teaching combines short talks with practical case discussions and scenario-based learning. The aim is to build confidence, improve patient safety, and prepare trainees to handle common situations they will meet in orthopaedic practice.

The session on Saturday 25^th October is intended for Foundation Year Doctors, and the session on Sunday 26^th October is intended for Core Surgical Trainees.

Aims

• To introduce the key principles of orthopaedic care for junior doctors.
• To prepare trainees to manage common ward-based problems safely.
• To help doctors recognise and act on orthopaedic emergencies.
• To improve understanding of post-operative care and when to escalate concerns.
• To give a basic overview of common operations and their management.
• To support trainees working on-call in emergency and fracture clinic settings.

For Foundation Year Doctors (Saturday 25^th October)

Topics Covered:

• Ward Management
• Common Orthopaedic Conditions
• Recognising Complications

Learning Outcomes:

• identify and describe common orthopaedic conditions seen on the wards.
• provide safe post-operative care, including pain relief, VTE prophylaxis, and wound care.
• recognise and start early management of complications such as infection, DVT/PE, or compartment syndrome.
• use a structured approach to assess and manage unwell orthopaedic patients.
• communicate clearly and escalate problems appropriately.

For Core Trainees (Sunday 26^th October)

Topics Covered:

• On-Call Survival
• Orthopaedic Emergencies
• Surgical Basics
• Fracture Clinic

Learning Outcomes:

• triage and manage orthopaedic referrals during on-calls.
• recognise and provide initial management for emergencies such as open fractures, septic arthritis, cauda equina syndrome, and compartment syndrome.
• explain the basic principles of common operations including hip hemiarthroplasty, DHS, and ankle ORIF.
• manage typical fracture clinic cases and know when to ask for senior input.
• understand the key steps in theatre preparation, post-operative care, and safe handover.

Organisers:

• Mr Ali Ilyas (Registrar in Orthopaedic Surgery)
• Dr Maham Khan (GP ST3 with Special Interest in MSK)
• Miss Rand Saleh (Core Surgical Trainee 2 in Trauma and Orthopaedics)
• Mr Raheel Siddique (Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery)