Prometric Exam for Orthopedic Surgeons: Specialist Orthopaedic Surgery Licence for DHA, MOHAP, DOH, SCFHS & QCHP — the 12-Area Blueprint, 65% Pass Mark, Logbooks and Surgical Privileges, D.Ortho vs MS and Salaries (2026)

Road traffic trauma, a young and active expatriate workforce, a growing sports-medicine market and an ageing local population needing joint replacement: the Gulf has work for every kind of orthopaedic surgeon. The licence comes first. For surgeons with an MS, DNB, FCPS, FRCS (Tr & Orth), Arab Board or equivalent, that means one written paper and a credentialing process that looks hard at your operative record.

The exam

• Specialist Orthopedic Surgery (ORT5971): 150 single-best-answer questions, 3 hours, pass mark 65% — 98 correct answers
• References: Hoppenfeld's Surgical Exposures, Apley, Miller's Review of Orthopaedics, Rockwood and Green, Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics

Miller's Review is on the official list, and its format — dense, table-driven, question-oriented — is the closest match to the paper. General surgeons sit a different exam, covered in the specialist doctors overview.

The twelve blueprint areas

1. Basic science and principles — bone biology and fracture healing, biomechanics, implant materials, cartilage, tendon and nerve healing, gait
2. Infections — acute and chronic osteomyelitis, septic arthritis (Kocher criteria in children), prosthetic joint infection, tuberculosis of the spine, diabetic foot
3. Trauma — open fracture grading and antibiotic timing, damage-control orthopaedics, pelvic ring injuries, hip fracture management by pattern, compartment syndrome, polytrauma priorities
4. Spine — cord syndromes, cauda equina as an emergency, thoracolumbar fracture classification, disc disease, deformity
5. Paediatric orthopaedics — DDH screening and treatment by age, Perthes, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, clubfoot and the Ponseti method, physeal injuries, supracondylar fractures
6. Orthopaedic sports medicine — ACL and meniscal injury, shoulder instability, rotator cuff tears, overuse injuries
7. Metabolic skeletal disorders — osteoporosis and fragility fracture prevention, rickets and osteomalacia (relevant in the region), Paget's disease, renal osteodystrophy
8. Reconstruction — hip and knee arthroplasty indications, approaches, bearing surfaces, complications (dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, loosening), osteotomy
9. Upper limb — shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand: fractures, nerve entrapments, tendon injuries by zone
10. Foot and ankle — ankle fracture classification, Achilles rupture, Lisfranc injury, hallux valgus, Charcot foot
11. Oncology — benign and malignant bone tumours by age, site and radiographic appearance, biopsy principles, metastatic bone disease
12. Patient safety, professionalism and ethics — surgical safety checklist, wrong-site surgery, VTE prophylaxis, consent

What repeats

• Classifications that change management. Gustilo–Anderson, Garden, Neer, Salter–Harris, Gartland, Weber, Schatzker, Young–Burgess. Know the grade at which treatment changes, not just the list.
• Nerve at risk. For each fracture, dislocation and surgical approach: which nerve, and what deficit. Axillary nerve with anterior shoulder dislocation, radial nerve with humeral shaft fracture, anterior interosseous with supracondylar fracture, common peroneal with fibular neck injury.
• Surgical approaches and internervous planes — straight from Hoppenfeld.
• Paediatric hip by age. DDH, Perthes and SCFE separated by age group, presentation and first investigation.
• Emergencies. Compartment syndrome (pain out of proportion, passive stretch — a clinical diagnosis), cauda equina, septic arthritis, open fractures, hip dislocation, fat embolism.
• Tumour recognition from a description. Age + site + matrix + periosteal reaction gives the answer in most stems.
• Arthroplasty complications and their prevention, including infection and VTE prophylaxis.

Logbooks and surgical privileges

Passing the paper gets you the licence; it does not decide what you may operate on. Gulf hospitals grant privileges procedure by procedure through a credentialing committee, on evidence: your logbook, case numbers for the last two to three years, references from previous heads of department, and sometimes a period of observed practice. Arthroplasty, spine, arthroscopy and paediatric deformity surgery are each privileged separately. Two practical consequences:

• Keep a current, signed logbook showing your role in each case. Surgeons who cannot document recent operative volume are routinely given narrower privileges than their experience deserves.
• A long non-operative gap hurts more in surgery than in any other specialty. More than two years away from practice triggers additional regulatory requirements too (gap rules).

D.Ortho, MS, DNB, FCPS

A three-year MS or DNB, FCPS and Arab Board are the standard routes to Specialist. A two-year D.Ortho is shorter and generally sits at a lower tier: more required experience, possibly a lower title. FRCS (Tr & Orth) with a CCT and North American boards are typically Tier 1 and exempt from the written paper in the UAE. See the recognition guide and the exemptions guide, and confirm with the eligibility check.

Process

1. Portal registration and title selection.
2. DataFlow verification of both degrees, registration, experience and good standing (guide).
3. Eligibility, booking (lead times) and exam.
4. Offer, credentialing and privileging, activation. BLS and ACLS are expected; ATLS is commonly requested in trauma centres.

Fees are in the fee guide.

Salaries

Specialist orthopaedic surgeons in the UAE typically earn AED 40,000–65,000 a month and Consultants AED 65,000–120,000; arthroplasty, spine and sports surgeons with a private following often work on a base plus a share of surgical revenue. Saudi packages run SAR 35,000–60,000 for Specialists, commonly with housing; Qatar is comparable. Compare offers in the salary calculator and register in the talent pool.

Ten-week plan

1. Week 1: basic science.
2. Weeks 2–4: trauma — upper limb, lower limb, pelvis and spine.
3. Week 5: paediatrics.
4. Week 6: reconstruction and sports.
5. Week 7: hand, foot and ankle.
6. Week 8: tumours, infection, metabolic bone disease.
7. Week 9: approaches, ethics and patient safety.
8. Week 10: timed mocks from the Orthopedic Surgery question bank.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass mark for the Prometric orthopaedic surgery exam?

65%. The Specialist Orthopedic Surgery paper has 150 single-best-answer questions in three hours, so 98 correct answers are needed.

Is D.Ortho accepted for a specialist licence in Dubai or Saudi Arabia?

D.Ortho is a two-year diploma and generally sits at a lower tier than MS, DNB or FCPS. It may require more experience or support a lower title, so check eligibility before paying for verification.

Does passing the exam mean I can perform joint replacements in the Gulf?

No. The licence allows you to practise; each hospital grants surgical privileges procedure by procedure on the evidence of your logbook, recent case numbers and references.

Which book is best for the orthopaedic Prometric exam?

Miller's Review of Orthopaedics is on the official reference list and matches the question style most closely. Use Hoppenfeld for approaches and Rockwood and Green for fracture detail.