Thanks Steve!
You make a good point - doing well at a highly-rated school in a certain subject area is no guarantee that will translate to practice. I didn't state it explicitly, but I couple that with where an ortho surgeon does their residency/fellowship (where they are accepted).
For example, my shoulder surgeon is in his mid 40s, attended U of WI Medical College (a high-regarded program), and was chosen for the residency/fellowship programs ultimately specializing in knees and shoulders.
UW only accepts 6 students per year to its ortho residency program. So my selection criteria requires a successful education at a highly-rated med school AND completion of a residency/fellowship program at a highly-regarded hospital or clinic. Then more elite the criteria, the better.
I'm also fortunate because my healthcare provider works with the UW Medical College. That means my hospital is a "learning facility" - a good way for all my Drs to stay current on best medical practices.
In the absence of any of this info - I think your idea of checking references, reviews, and looking at the number of procedures performed is also a good way to find a v good surgeon.
Joe
@heyjoe415
Hi, you must live near Seattle? I was tirned down by the UW for hip revision. They deferred to my surgeon with Proliance in Bellevue.