Orthopaedics: Specialty Training Interview Questions Australia
The orthopaedics questions that sit on top of the specialty training core: clinical scenarios, the system and governance questions specific to the specialty, and presentation titles.
Updated 28 October 2026
The structures these questions are marked on
- SAFER See the patient, Assess systematically with ABCDE, Fix what you can and decide, Escalate with a clear request in SBAR or ISBAR, Review: the patient told, the handover, the documentation and what you would do if the first plan failed. Full guide →
- The What it is in a sentence, Why it matters with a fact, What it means for this organisation and specialty, What I would do at my level and how I would measure it. Full guide →
Motivation
Evidence of commitment over enthusiasm: rotations, courses, audits, exams sat. Know the programme's stages, exams and rural requirements. Say what you would bring to a rural site, not just that you are willing to go.
- Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the staff specialist colleague
Why orthopaedic surgery, and what have you done to prepare for SET?
Evidence: the orthopaedic terms, the trauma and elective experience, the logbook, the courses, the generic surgical sciences examination, the research, the audit. Say what each taught you and which subspecialty draws you.
- Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the head of department
What do you know about the orthopaedic SET programme, its examinations, the rotations and the research requirement?
The length, the rural and regional rotations, the examinations, the logbook, the research requirement, and the subspecialty exposure. Two accurate sentences, then what will be hardest.
- Often askedUsually asked by the staff specialist colleague
Orthopaedics has a reputation for a difficult culture. What kind of colleague will you be, and what would you do if you saw bullying in theatre?
A view on culture with what you have seen, the college's position, the colleague you intend to be, and the structure for the bullying scenario: the trainee's safety in the moment, support afterwards, the reporting route.
Clinical scenario
Systematic assessment, treat what you can, escalate early and clearly even when the consultant is distant, use retrieval and telehealth where they apply, and say what you would do afterwards. A safe answer that asks for help beats a clever one that does not.
A patient presents with an open tibial fracture after a motorcycle crash. Talk us through your management.
The trauma call and the primary survey, then the limb: the neurovascular status, the wound photographed and covered, antibiotics and tetanus, the alignment and the splint, the imaging, and the combined orthoplastic decision about debridement and fixation. Say who you would call and when, and what you would do in a regional hospital without plastics.
A patient six hours after a tibial nailing has increasing pain not controlled by opioids and pain on passive stretch. What do you do?
Compartment syndrome until proven otherwise: the dressings split, the limb at heart level, the pressure measured if in doubt but not to delay, and the fasciotomy now with the consultant called. Say that you would not wait for the pulses to disappear.
An 85 year old with a fractured neck of femur is admitted. What is your plan from admission to discharge?
The orthogeriatric pathway: the analgesia including a block, the medical optimisation for surgery within the target time, the operation chosen by the fracture and the patient, the early mobilisation, the bone health, the delirium prevention, and the discharge planning from day one. Say what the hip fracture registry measures.
A child presents with a limp and a low grade fever. What do you do?
Septic arthritis until proven otherwise: the criteria, the bloods, the ultrasound, the aspiration and the washout in theatre if confirmed, with the paediatric team. The differential and what you would tell the parents.
A patient with a hip replacement presents two weeks after surgery with a hot, swollen joint. What do you do?
Early prosthetic joint infection: the bloods, the aspiration before antibiotics unless septic, the imaging, the consultant and the decision about debridement and implant retention or revision, and the honesty with the patient about the complication.
A patient after a spinal fracture develops new leg weakness on the ward in a regional hospital. What do you do?
A neurological emergency: the examination documented, the spinal precautions, the imaging now, the spinal service at the tertiary centre called immediately, and the retrieval arranged. Say what you would tell the patient.
A patient presents with back pain, saddle numbness and urinary retention. What do you do?
Cauda equina syndrome until proven otherwise: the examination including the perianal sensation and the bladder scan, the magnetic resonance imaging now, and the spinal team for decompression within the window, with transfer if needed. Say that you would not wait until morning.
A patient with a dislocated shoulder has an absent radial pulse. What do you do?
The vascular injury recognised, the reduction attempted promptly with the pulse reassessed, the vascular team called now if it does not return, and the documentation. Say what you would do if the reduction failed.
System knowledge
Know the programme's requirements in detail. Name three current pressures and link each to your specialty. Be able to explain clinical governance and the standards most relevant to your work in a sentence each.
What are the biggest challenges facing orthopaedics in Australian public hospitals, and how do they affect training?
The elective waiting lists and the public and private split, theatre access, the trauma load in regional hospitals, the hip fracture standards, the workforce, and the effect on training. Link each to what you have seen.