Six orthopedic surgeons connected with Becker's to discuss their advice for up-and-coming orthopedic surgeons.
Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting orthopedic care. We invite all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: Are orthobiologics overhyped?
Please send responses to Riz Hatton at rhatton@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CDT Thursday, July 13.
Note: These responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Matthew Harb, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics (Bethesda, Md.): There are two pieces of advice that I would like to provide for up-and-coming orthopedic surgeons. The first is to remember why we first went into medicine and that everything we do is centered around the patient. As we continue to advance the field of orthopedic, we must remember that our focus is on improving patient outcomes and we should not lose sight of that as our primary goal.
Second, continue to pass down wisdom to the next generation of surgeons. Orthopedic surgeons endure rigorous training, including five years of residency and a year of fellowship after four years of medical school. We must ensure we pass on our knowledge to the future surgeons so that we can continue to improve on clinical and surgical techniques. Passing down the information you have learned is as important as the first piece of advice above.
Arun Hariharan, MD. Pediatric Orthopedic and Spine Surgeon at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute (West Palm Beach, Fla.): My best advice for up-and-coming colleagues in this field centers around two essential pillars: mentorship/sponsorship and collaboration.
1. Seek mentorship and sponsorship. Find experienced mentors who can guide you through your professional journey. Their insights and clinical expertise will shape your career and enhance your surgical skills. A mentor can offer invaluable support, provide guidance during challenging cases, and help navigate important career decisions.
Additionally, actively seek sponsorship from influential individuals; there is a subtle but important difference between mentorship and sponsorship. Sponsors can advocate for your career advancement, endorse your skills, and create opportunities for growth. The combined impact of mentorship and sponsorship can significantly accelerate your progress and help you achieve your goals.
2. Embrace collaboration. Our field of work often requires a multidisciplinary approach. Collaborate with other orthopedic surgeons, primary care physicians, physical therapists, nurses and other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive care to your patients. By fostering effective communication and teamwork, you can optimize patient outcomes and gain diverse insights from your colleagues. Collaborative efforts contribute to enhanced patient-centered care and provide opportunities for shared learning and professional growth.
The journey to becoming a successful orthopedic surgeon is not just about surgical skills. It is equally crucial to cultivate meaningful mentorship relationships and foster a collaborative mindset.
Chason Hayes, MD. Vice Chief of Staff at Atrium Health Union (Monroe, N.C.):
1. Begin a mediation practice. Learn to manage your feelings and to let go of attachments to outcomes, especially financial ones.
2. Read Feeling Good Together by David Burns
3. Exercise every day.
4. Take half of the day after call off.
5. Take another half day off a week to get caught up.
Timothy Floyd, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon (Eagle, Idaho): Live like a resident for the first two to three years of your practice and put that unspent money to work, either paying off loans, investments, down payment on a house. Don't start living the high life just because you're not dirt poor anymore. Get a good foundation for your future, then go buy your Gucci shoes.
James Learned, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at UCI Health (Orange, Calif.): It's hard to understand what a career as a surgeon looks like until you're already up to your ears. You want to be busy, but you want to have time to take care of yourself and your family. You want to make everything perfect, but you don't want to be operating all night long every day. Being a surgeon ends up being about managing your time as much as you're managing your patients, and it's critical that you take your own needs and the needs of your loved ones as seriously as you take the needs of your patients. Everybody wants work-life balance, but achieving that while also feeling fulfilled by your chosen career is hard. Putting in the effort to build relationships will reward you immensely throughout your career, whether they are collegial at work, friends outside of medicine, or a spouse/significant other at home. These are the people that listen when you need to talk, comfort when you need to grieve and celebrate when you achieve. Helping a patient by performing an operation is rewarding, but being a collaborative clinical partner, caring spouse and involved parent will reward you in ways you wouldn't imagine.
Philip Louie, MD. Spine Surgeon at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (Seattle): Just because your formal training is done, the learning process is just beginning. Five years from now, you don't want to be performing surgery the exact same way that you do now (or that you have been trained). As the field of orthopedic surgery continues to grow and improve, so must we, as surgeons. It can be easy to fall into the trap of conducting a clinic, indicating patients, performing surgery, and following up with them the same way over a long period of time. As you become more comfortable, it may become more difficult to step outside your comfort zone to keep learning and improving on your current processes.
The growth mindset is critical. And there are so many ways to keep growing.
1. Collecting and analyzing your own patient data.
2. Pursuing research endeavors that will keep you fresh on literature reviews and answering critical questions.
3. Work alongside industry partners to evaluate ongoing innovations.
4. Travel to conferences/courses and see how others are treating similar patients.
5. Set aside every few months to evaluate your clinical practice and intraoperative components.
6. Find a group where everyone can be kept accountable to sharing knowledge, cases and want to grow as the field grows.
Just to name a few.
It takes an ongoing effort. But if you or your family member needed an orthopedic procedure, wouldn't you want your surgeon to be practicing in such a way?
Christen Russo, MD. Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (New York City): Habits! Start good ones early and repeat (pre-op planning, tracking cases, patient communication) to form patterns that become ingrained and then like second nature. Identify and eliminate the bad ones (the subtle laziness, taking the easy way out, thinking someone else will pick up the slack) because it is always harder to break those behaviors moving forward.