In order for a doctor to have the credentials necessary to legally assist you with health issues and to be state certified, they will have to undergo a specific amount of secondary education. This will include education at the University as well as training in the field. From time to time, however, you may run across an orthopedic surgeon who is not only a medical doctor, they are also fellowship trained. This has caused some confusion for some people, but understanding how they earn the credential can make you more comfortable using their services.
It is a long process to become a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon. In fact, there is more to it than what it would take to become an M.D. or a D.O. It starts out with four years of college, followed with four years of medical school and at least five years of residency. That is where many doctors stop and they begin their practice from that point forward. Depending upon the individual and their skill level, however, they may get accepted into a fellowship program and an additional year of special training will be provided. At that point, they would be considered an expert in the particular type of surgery that was involved.
A doctor can be fellowship trained in any number of different areas of orthopedics. This could include spine, sports medicine, foot, hand, joints, ankle and many other areas. When an accredited fellowship program is used, it takes an additional year on top of the five years of surgery training that is provided. You can really consider it to be additional training but it is much more. During that time, they are specializing in a specific area so if you are looking for a doctor that can cover your health care needs, choosing somebody who has this type of backing is well worth considering.
For those who are suffering from spine problems in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Dr. Dickerman is an option that is worth considering as well. Not only is he the director of spine surgery at Medical Center Frisco and Dir. of neurosurgery at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, he is also a spine fellowship-trained neurosurgeon. His training can be to your benefit if you are suffering from any type of spinal problem. This will include the possibility of having a nonsurgical option available to help correct your problem.
Along with being fellowship-trained and going through all of the credentials for medical school and training, he also has the experience that can put you at ease. Many elite professional athletes have used his services and have been treated successfully with nonsurgical options. If surgery is required, however, and it sometimes is, he has options available for minimally invasive techniques that will help to reduce problems associated with these types of operations.
If you are having problems with your spine in any way, Dr. Dickerman can help. Contact him today and learn more about what he can do for your spine problem.
