The Business Side of Medicine for Orthopedic Residents and Fellows: When Were We Supposed to Learn This?

CPT, CMS, RAC, ICD-10, ACA, RVU, ACO—these are a few of the 3-letter acronyms I find myself swimming in while completing my final years of orthopedic training. It has suddenly become clear that this aspect of my future career, the business side, has lacked appropriate preparation. From countless hours buried in textbooks as a first-year medical student to late nights in the operating room as a fellow, I realize that I have had no formal business training, not even a single course, while nearing the completion of, effectively, the 28th grade. All while just days away from running my own business—my clinical practice as an orthopedic surgeon.