1,785 candidates were allotted MS Orthopaedics in Round 1. By Round 3, 1,412 remained. 79% retention — strong, but with a clear tension: General Surgery.
114 left Ortho for Surgery
The single biggest exit from Orthopaedics is to General Surgery. 114 candidates who had Ortho in R1 ended up in Surgery by R3. Not Radiology, not Gen Med — Surgery.
The reverse flow is weaker: only 65 Surgery candidates switched to Ortho. The movement is predominantly one-directional — Ortho → Surgery.
Where else did they go?
60 to Paediatrics and 59 to Gen Med — candidates who changed their mind about a surgical career entirely. 26 to Radiology — the diagnostic alternative.
267 switched INTO Orthopaedics
90 from Anaesthesia — the same stepping-stone pattern. Candidates took Anaesthesia at a good institute, then switched to Ortho when a seat opened. 65 from Surgery — the reverse of the main flow, likely driven by institute preference.
What does this mean for you?
If you want Ortho: 79% stay. It's a strong speciality with high retention. But if General Surgery is your true calling, the data shows 114 candidates made that switch — it's common and accepted.
If you're choosing between Ortho and Surgery: the data slightly favours the Ortho → Surgery direction. But both are surgical specialities with strong career paths. The institute matters more than the label.