Orthopedics

Mastering Musculoskeletal Medicine

Ted O’Connell, MD

One of my goals in medicine has been to provide access to high-quality resources that are either free or low cost, with the mission of reducing the cost of medical education for medical students and residents while helping to identify high-yield content. This is why I write these blog posts, helped launch ExamCircle.com, and made USMLE Step 2 Secrets available as a podcast.

There is significant variability in how well medical schools teach musculoskeletal medicine, particularly in allopathic medical schools. Compounding this variability is the fact that many medical students do not have an opportunity to have a rotation in orthopedics or sports medicine. Yet musculoskeletal medicine is an important component of simulated patient encounters, Step 2 CS, and COMLEX Level 2-PE. Musculoskeletal complaints also constitute a significant percentage of the patient care visits you will see during primary care rotations.

This link to the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine provides a well-curated list of resources for learning musculoskeletal medicine. It includes videos, articles, and Powerpoints which can also be used for teaching purposes. I hope you find the resources helpful.