Should I list soft skills on a Orthopedic Surgeon resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 5 of the top 24 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (24 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Orthopedic Surgeon postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were Board certified (79 %), Medical license (48 %), State license (15 %), EHR (12 %), BLS (9 %) and DEA registration (9 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 33 public Orthopedic Surgeon job postings at 13 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (2) and other public job postings (31). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 33. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Orthopedic Surgeon resume skills and keywords

In 33 Orthopedic Surgeon job postings from 13 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Board certified (79 %), Medical license (48 %), Patient care (45 %), Sports Medicine (36 %) and Joint Replacement (27 %). Of the top 24 skills, 19 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 5 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 24 skills in Orthopedic Surgeon job postings

Skills requested in 33 Orthopedic Surgeon job postings, by share of postings
Skill	Share of postings	Type
Board certified	79 %	Certification
Medical license	48 %	Certification
Patient care	45 %	Hard skill
Sports Medicine	36 %	Hard skill
Joint Replacement	27 %	Hard skill
Communication	24 %	Soft skill
Patient-Centered Care	18 %	Hard skill
State license	15 %	Certification
Rehabilitation	15 %	Hard skill
Compassion	15 %	Soft skill
Collaboration	15 %	Soft skill
Mentoring	12 %	Soft skill
Robotics	12 %	Hard skill
Diagnostic Testing	12 %	Hard skill
EHR	12 %	Tool
Patient Safety	12 %	Hard skill
Quality Improvement	12 %	Hard skill
Pain Management	12 %	Hard skill
Flexibility	9 %	Soft skill
BLS	9 %	Certification
DEA registration	9 %	Certification
Orthopedic Trauma	9 %	Hard skill
Critical Care	9 %	Hard skill
Patient Diagnosis	9 %	Hard skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Soft skills (5)

Communication 24 %
Compassion 15 %
Collaboration 15 %
Mentoring 12 %
Flexibility 9 %

Tools and software (1)

EHR 12 %

Certifications and licenses (5)

Board certified 79 %
Medical license 48 %
State license 15 %
BLS 9 %
DEA registration 9 %

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these orthopedic surgeon postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

total joint 24 %treatment plans 24 %advanced practice 21 %practice providers 21 %cme allowance 21 %primary care 21 %quality patient 18 %fellowship training 18 %medical group 18 %operative care 15 %surgical procedures 15 %patient outcomes 15 %care providers 15 %medical school 15 %surgery residency 12 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Orthopedic Surgeon resume example. Then prepare for the Orthopedic Surgeon interview questions that test them.

Build a orthopedic surgeon resume with these skills

Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.

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