Hand Surgery

Training path

1. College (bachelor’s degree) 4 years
2. Medical school (MD or DO) 4 years
3. Orthopaedic / plastic / general surgery residency 5–6 years
4. Hand surgery fellowship 1 year

Training after medical school: 6–7 years. From the start of college: about 14–15 years.

Usual minimum program lengths from ACGME program requirements. Some doctors take extra research years or a second fellowship.

Who they are

• MD (DOs make up the rest) 96%
• Women 18%
• Graduated 35 or more years ago 19%
• Offer telehealth 12%
• Accept Medicare’s approved amount 96%

Sex and credentials from NPPES. Graduation year, telehealth and Medicare assignment from Medicare Care Compare, which covers clinicians enrolled in Medicare.

What they do most for Medicare patients

• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes 456,688
• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes 314,987
• Injection into tendon or ligament 214,299
• X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views 196,382
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-44 minutes 194,169
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes 171,334
• X-ray of wrist, minimum of 3 views 156,501
• Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from small joint 99,079
• X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views 95,246
• X-ray of shoulder, minimum of 2 views 65,054
• Incision of tendon covering of finger 51,992
• Therapy procedure using exercise to develop strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility, each 15 minutes 51,408

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Services billed to traditional Medicare in 2023 (Physician and Other Practitioners data); drugs given in the office are left out.

What they prescribe most

• Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen) 21.8%
• Meloxicam 13.3%
• Tramadol Hcl 8.9%
• Oxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen (Endocet, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Percocet) 7.2%
• Oxycodone Hcl (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, Roxybond) 7.1%
• Methylprednisolone (Medrol) 6.5%
• Cephalexin 5.6%
• Ibuprofen (Caldolor, Ibu) 4.5%
• Diclofenac Sodium (Pennsaid) 2.7%
• Celecoxib (Elyxyb, Celebrex) 2.7%
• Acetaminophen With Codeine (Acetaminophen-Codeine) 2.6%
• Ondansetron Hcl 2.4%
• Gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) 2.2%
• Naproxen 1.6%
• Prednisone (Rayos) 1.4%

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Share of this specialty’s Medicare Part D prescriptions in 2024, including refills. Select a drug to see which of these clinicians prescribe it most, and where.

Hospitals where the most work

• NYU Langone Hospitals New York, NY 22 Hand Surgery at NYU Langone Hospitals
• Orthoindy Hospital Indianapolis, IN 20 Hand Surgery at Orthoindy Hospital
• Northwest Community Hospital 1 Arlington Heights, IL 18 Hand Surgery at Northwest Community Hospital 1
• Memorial Hermann Hospital System Houston, TX 17 Hand Surgery at Memorial Hermann Hospital System
• Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 17 Hand Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Ascension St Vincent Hospital Indianapolis, IN 16 Hand Surgery at Ascension St Vincent Hospital
• Adventhealth Orlando Orlando, FL 16 Hand Surgery at Adventhealth Orlando
• Newton-Wellesley Hospital Newton, MA 15 Hand Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
• Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY 14 Hand Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery
• St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc Paterson, NJ 14 Hand Surgery at St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc

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Clinicians who list the hospital in Medicare Care Compare. The number opens the list of who works there.

Schools they graduated from most

• Georgetown University School of Medicine 50
• New York University School of Medicine 46
• Indiana University School of Medicine 45
• Baylor College of Medicine 42
• Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons 41
• University of Michigan Medical School 41
• Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University 40
• Ohio State University College of Medicine 39
• Temple University School of Medicine 39
• Northwestern University Feinberg Medical School 36

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From Medicare Care Compare (Medicare-enrolled clinicians only).