Securing an ST3 in Trauma & Orthopaedics took me a lot of time, a good study partner, and figuring out what actually mattered in the interview versus what was noise. I put this together so that process is a bit less opaque for whoever comes next. I got my top-choice rotation at the Royal London straight after CT2, this is what worked for me.
Click here on the logo to listen to the ST3 Hacks podast on the go!
If you've come here from the St3 hacks PODCAST— welcome! Feel free to browse this page to gain an overview on mapping the interview.
If you're looking for more structured support especially on
Personalised portfolio work
Management, Ethical & Communication station
Personalised Portfolio station workshops
Approaches/Operations
I offer 1-to-1 interview prep sessions and some ST3 Hacks cheat sheets.
Links below!
Securing an ST3 in Trauma & Orthopaedics took me a lot of time, a good study partner, and figuring out what actually mattered in the interview versus what was noise. I put this together so that process is a bit less opaque for whoever comes next. I got my top-choice rotation at the Royal London straight after CT2 — this is what worked for me.
There will be a lot of debate on the questions banks and on balance after having tried a few across an array of mates I would recommend 2:
ORTHOREVISION - excellent for kickstarting and consolidating the interview as a whole. Gives you great insight into structuring for Clinical content, excellent scenarios for Prioritisation. Excellent for communication and ethical questions (a must have)!
ST3PREP - detailed, red herrings, expands the calibre to which you will push yourself with knowledge. It overshoots with elective pathology - but it's not a bad thing to over prepare.
Avoid
Orthointerview.com - Massively out of date
Medibuddy - very sparse knowledge, good for stems to use for case practise, don't expect to learn anything from it
I think it's a daunting task when starting to prepare for the speciality interview, I knew I felt a sense of imposter syndrome and fear glossing over the step up in knowledge that is required of an orthopaedic registrar. I particularly found it tough to understand the extent of curriculum and in what detail am I required to know content in.
Given many of you will be coming from the backdrop of completing MRCS, the anatomy will be useful but most specific content will be new. At this point if you havent already started using orthobullets, you will have a eureka moment in realising it's value.
Below I'll list the curriculum of conditions for each Joint and the topics you should cover. The resources I would start with is:
Curriculum Page Below
Read the Ortho bullet topic on it
Use interview resources above to complement
Use AI (Gemini/ChatGPT/Grok) to supplement understanding
If you are short of time and want something more compiled you can sign up below and you can purchase my my notes as well.
FUNORTHO - basics first. Weekly free of cost meeting, great to see high SpR and Consultant turnout. Use it to learn from their tips and make a note of their cases and listen to your peers (especially the ones who are good). I wouldn't be crazy about volunteering to get viva'd as it is mostly people who do not have good study groups that are keen to use it as an opportunity for practise.
Potts St3 prep course
Northwest Mersey Course
Northwest London Course
Rishi Dhir - Lets talk Dr course
Local Deanery courses
Clinical:
ATLS, Major haemorrhage protocol, Polytrauma, Paeds, NAI Concerns, Supracondylar, Lateral condyle #, Forearm fractures, Paeds Limping child, MSK infection, DDH, SUFE, Perthes, Triplane injury, Hand and Wrist, Distal radius #, Scaphoid #, Perilunate/Lunate dislocation, Carpal tunnel Sx, Dupuytren’s, Flexor tendon injury, Shoulder & Elbow & Clavicle, Clavicle #, Shoulder D/L, Proximal Humerus, Distal humerus, Olecranon #, Elbow Dislocation, Radial head #, Adhesive capsulitis, Rotator cuff, ACJ, Pelvis, Open book fracture, Acetabular fracture, Hip, Old NOF, Young NOF, Hip dislocation, THA dislocation, Peri-prosthetic, Femoral Shaft, Distal femoral, Knee & Lower leg, Tibial plateau, Tibial shaft fracture, Open fracture, Compartment Sx, Red hot knee, PJI in a knee replacement, Meniscal tear, Knee dislocation, ACL, First time patella dislocation, Patella instability/dislocation, Ankle fracture, Pilon/Tibial plafond, Talus + Subtalar D/L, Calcaneal, LisFranc injuries, Diabetic foot infection, Charcot, Spine, CES, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal clearance, Spinal abscess, Post op cervical surgery, Fractures, BOAST Traumatic Spinal cord Injury guidelines, BOAST c-spine clearance in trauma patient, C1 fracture, Odontoid peg (C2), Chance, Thoracolumbar Misc, DCM, Miscellaneous
Approaches:
Hand and wrist, FCR Approach (Modified Henry’s approach), Henry’s Approach (Volar to radius), Carpal tunnel decompression, Volar approach to Ulna, Forearm and Hand Compartment Sx, Shoulder and Elbow, Deltopectoral approach, Posterior approach to humerus, Anterolateral approach to the humerus; Posterior elbow approach, Kaplan – lateral approach to the elbow, Kocher – posterolateral, Knee & leg, Medial parapatellar approach to the knee, Anterolateral approach to the knee, Posteromedial approach to the knee, HIP Approaches, Lateral Approach (Hardinge/Modified Hardinge), Smith-Petersen (paeds septic arthritis washout), Antero-lateral approach (Watson-Jones), Posterior Approach – Moore, Southern, Foot and Ankle, Anterior ankle, Medial Ankle, Lateral Ankle, Approach to the talus, Posterolateral, SPINE, Spine, ACDF, Posterior spine decompression, CES – lumbosacral decompression, ACDF
Operations:
TENS nailing, FTS washout, TBW Displaced Transverse Olecranon Fracture, IM nail Femur, DHS
Principles of Orthopaedics:
Principles of orthopaedics, Absolute vs Relative stability, Principles of fracture fixation, Factors Affecting Fracture Healing, Four Stages of Secondary (Indirect) Healing, Bone Structure & Function, Perren’s Strain Theory, Drill Guides, Load-Bearing vs. Load-Sharing Plates, Intramedullary Nails & Risks of Reaming, External Fixation: Types & Indications, Bone Cement (PMMA), Wolff’s Law, Anatomy of a screw, Screw Mechanics & Structure, Parts of a Screw;, Screw Strength:, Locking Screws & Plates, Insertion of a lag screw, Compression plating, Tension Band Wiring, Biomechanical Principles of Intramedullary (IM) Nail Fixation, Hemiarthroplasty, Leg Fasciotomy, Debridement, Spanning Ex-Fix, Ex-fix ankle, Ankle ORIF, Foot decompressive surgery