There is no required undergraduate major to become an orthopedic surgeon. Medical schools accept students from any field of study as long as they complete a set of prerequisite science courses. That said, your choice of major can shape how prepared you feel for the MCAT, how competitive your application looks, and whether you build relevant knowledge early. Here’s how to think through the decision.
What Medical Schools Actually Require
Every medical school sets its own prerequisites, but the core requirements are nearly universal. Harvard Medical School’s list is representative: one year of biology with lab experience (including cellular and molecular topics), two full years of chemistry covering inorganic, organic, and biochemistry with lab work, and one year of physics. These courses form the scientific backbone of the MCAT and the first two years of medical school, so you’ll need to fit them into your schedule regardless of your major.
Beyond coursework, medical schools increasingly value hands-on research. Harvard notes that “active, sustained participation in faculty-mentored laboratory research” can satisfy lab skill requirements and strengthen an application. For students interested in orthopedics specifically, research experience matters even more, since the specialty is one of the most competitive to match into.
The Most Common Majors for Premeds
Biology remains the most popular choice, and for good reason. A biology major naturally covers most medical school prerequisites, leaving room for upper-level electives in anatomy, physiology, and genetics. You won’t have to juggle a heavy load of extra science courses on top of your degree requirements because they largely overlap.
Biochemistry is another strong option. The two-year chemistry sequence required for medical school already pulls you deep into this territory, and a biochemistry major builds the molecular-level understanding that dominates the MCAT’s biology and chemistry sections. Students who enjoy the intersection of chemistry and living systems often find this major rewarding rather than redundant.
Biomedical engineering attracts some future orthopedic surgeons because the coursework covers materials science, biomechanics, and device design, all directly relevant to a specialty that relies on implants, joint replacements, and fracture fixation hardware. The tradeoff is that engineering programs are demanding, and maintaining the high GPA that medical schools expect can be harder in a curriculum full of advanced math and physics.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
If orthopedics is already your goal, kinesiology or exercise science offers an unusually relevant foundation. These programs focus on how the body moves, how training affects musculoskeletal function, and how injuries alter performance. At Cal State Long Beach, for example, exercise science students take dedicated courses in biomechanics of human movement, applied biomechanics for lifting and work capacity, and biomechanics lab practica. That’s the kind of knowledge orthopedic surgeons use daily when evaluating gait, planning reconstructions, or rehabilitating athletes.
These programs are also explicitly designed as pipelines to healthcare graduate training. You’ll still need to complete premed prerequisites separately if they aren’t built into the curriculum, but the subject matter gives you a vocabulary and intuition for the musculoskeletal system that most biology majors don’t develop until residency.
Non-Science Majors Are an Option
Medical schools genuinely do not penalize non-science majors. English, economics, psychology, and philosophy graduates all match into competitive specialties every year. If you choose a non-science major, you’ll take the same prerequisite courses as everyone else, just as electives or extra requirements rather than as part of your degree plan. This path works best for students who are deeply passionate about another field and disciplined enough to layer a full premed track on top of it.
The potential advantage is differentiation. Admissions committees review thousands of biology majors. A philosophy major with strong MCAT scores and genuine research experience can stand out. The potential disadvantage is logistics: fitting two years of chemistry, a year of biology, and a year of physics into a humanities schedule takes careful planning, and any scheduling conflict can push your timeline back.
GPA and MCAT Scores Matter More Than Major
Whatever you study, your GPA and MCAT scores are the gatekeepers. Medical school admissions are numbers-driven at the screening stage, and orthopedic surgery is among the most competitive residencies, meaning you need strong academic credentials from the very start. Matched orthopedic surgery applicants in 2024 had an average Step 2 CK score of 257, up from 253 in 2016, reflecting a trend toward higher and higher academic benchmarks in the field.
Choose a major where you can realistically earn a high GPA while completing all your prerequisites. A 3.9 in kinesiology with strong MCAT scores will serve you better than a 3.3 in biomedical engineering with the same scores. Medical schools calculate your science GPA separately, so your performance in biology, chemistry, and physics courses gets scrutinized no matter what your diploma says.
Building an Orthopedic-Focused Application Early
Your undergraduate years are also when you start building the clinical exposure and research that orthopedic residency programs look for. Shadowing orthopedic surgeons in clinic and the operating room gives you both confirmation that you want the specialty and material for your personal statement later. Programs like NYU Langone’s orthopedic surgery summer externship place students in outpatient offices, hospital clinics, and operating rooms, with a minimum of one day per week in surgery. Externs also spend time in urgent orthopedic care and work alongside residents managing acute injuries.
Research is increasingly non-negotiable. NYU’s program requires every extern to complete a scholarly project, whether that’s a clinical research study, a basic science project, a review paper, or a case report. Orthopedic surgery applicants who match successfully tend to have multiple research publications or presentations by the time they apply, and starting in undergrad gives you a head start over classmates who wait until medical school.
The Full Timeline to Becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon
Understanding the full path helps you plan. After four years of undergraduate education, you’ll spend four years in medical school earning your MD or DO. Then comes orthopedic surgery residency, which the ACGME mandates at 60 months (five years). Many orthopedic surgeons pursue an additional one-year fellowship to subspecialize in areas like sports medicine, spine surgery, hand surgery, or joint replacement. That’s 13 to 14 years of education and training after high school.
Your choice of medical school can influence your odds of matching into orthopedics. A recent analysis of the 2019 to 2023 residency cohort found that New York University placed the highest percentage of its graduating class into orthopedic surgery at 7.7%, followed by Georgetown at 6.7%, Washington University in St. Louis at 6.5%, and Cornell and Mayo Clinic tied at 6.2%. The two factors most strongly correlated with a medical school’s orthopedic placement rate were the school’s NIH research funding and whether it had its own orthopedic surgery residency program on site.
Choosing the Right Major for You
The best major is one that keeps your GPA high, covers your prerequisites efficiently, and genuinely interests you enough to sustain four years of hard work. Biology and biochemistry are the path of least resistance for most premeds. Kinesiology or exercise science adds musculoskeletal depth that’s directly relevant to orthopedics. Engineering builds problem-solving skills valued in a surgical specialty but demands careful GPA management. Non-science majors work if you’re organized and motivated to handle the extra course load.
What matters far more than the name on your degree is what you do with your four undergraduate years: earn top grades in your science courses, score well on the MCAT, get meaningful research experience, and find opportunities to shadow or work alongside orthopedic surgeons. Those are the building blocks that carry you from college into medical school and eventually into one of the most competitive surgical specialties in medicine.