White Coat Coaching | The Orthopedic Podcast

This episode is actually a combined episode with the Nailed It Ortho podcast team.  Dr. Jay Fitts and Dr. Wendell Cole are both residents, at University of Cincinnati and Tulane respectively. This episode is actually a combined episode with the Nailed It Ortho podcast team.  Dr. Jay Fitz and Dr. Wendel Cole are both residents at Tulane Respectively.  Their podcast usually focuses on an orthopedic problem but today, they are branching out and doing a more narrative style interview… It was super fun talking to them.  Actually, it was a little weird being interviewed rather than the other way around!    

This episode is a group interview with Dr. Antonia Chen and Dr. Jessica Lee.  Dr. Chen specializes in arthroplasty and has hit the orthopedic trifecta as a clinician, researcher, and educator.  Dr. Lee is well on her way and is currently an arthroplasty fellow. She plans to do a second fellowship in hip preservation before starting practice.  In this conversation, we dive into a wide range of topics including the life cycle of research, managing a team, confirmation bias, and how to harness diversity.

Dr. Joseph Zuckerman is chair of Orthopedics at NYU Langone Medical center.  He has had a long history of leadership and education. Just a few of his titles include past president of the AAOS, past president of the Association of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Program director of the largest orthopedic residency in the US.  In this episode we talk all about the overlap between the two. Are leaders born or made? How does formal and informal education shape future surgeons? In the midst of all the trends in education, what aspects remain important?

Dr. Jason Weisstein is an orthopedic surgeon who is currently practicing in Colorado.  He has worn many hats as an academic surgeon, a physician consultant for Modernizing Medicine, and a private practice physician.  In this episode, we discuss the controversial 80 hour work week and his views on burnout.  We also dive into what he calls the McDonaldization of medicine and why the patient doctor relationship is important for both the patient and the doctor.

In this episode, We are back with Dr. Daniel Li who is a current PGY1 at Ohio State.  In the last episode we talked about strategies for first through 3rd year medical students and Part two is all about application year.  Away rotations are difficult to maneuver and this episode is full of specific tips. Doing well on these “audition” rotations requires a lot of emotional intelligence, which is basically an understanding of both yourself and others and how to manage those relationships.  Our discussion will hopefully help you understand how programs evaluate “fit”. In addition, we broach how to get a good letter of recommendation, interview scheduling tips, and techniques for interview day itself.

This episode is all about the application process from a student perspective.  Dr. Daniel Li is a recently matched orthopaedic surgery resident at Ohio State and together we go into a candid, no BS, deep dive of his strategies and thought processes during medical school.  We’re breaking up this discussion into two parts. This episode, part one, is all about MS1-MS3 years. We talk about how to get hooked into the ortho didactics and research at your home institution, how to take advantage of your nonsurgical rotation, and much much more.

Dr. Kristy Weber is the 87th president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.  She specializes in orthopaedic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania.  In our discussion, we talk about a pretty wide variety of topics. We discuss leadership as a skill set and having difficult conversations with patients and colleagues.  She also talks about the strategic goals of the AAOS including very candidly talks about the tough balancing act of increasing diversity and inclusion in orthopedics.

Dr. Lee Vander Lugt is the executive director of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics.  In this episode, our topic is the Single Accreditation System unifying postgraduate medical education by 2020.  We discuss the history behind the agreement, the current status, and the possible implications for the future of osteopathic orthopedic training.  More notes on the topic and our interview can be found on the blogpost, Single Accreditation System: Where are we now?

Dr. Jeffrey Cochran is program director of the Aultman Orthopaedic Surgery Residency in Canton, OH.  The Aultman program was formerly known as the Affinity Orthopaedic Surgery Residency but has changed affiliations.  Despite the changes in hospitals, Dr. Cochran is still very committed to the apprenticeship model. There are two residents per class who work very closely with the staff.  In this episode we discuss the culture Dr. Cochran fosters within his residency and the way it can develop some of the soft skills of surgery, like leadership, managing team dynamics, and resiliency.  

In this episode, I talk with Drs. Tabs Aiyer, Matt Varacallo, and Jonathan Kaplan.  They are three orthopedic surgeons who have banded together to create Orthomentor, an online mentoring platform for orthopedic surgeons.  We go over their most frequently asked questions including, What is a good USMLE Step1 Score? What do I do with a gap year? How do I decide where to rotate?  Students, get ready to take some notes. This is a good one.

Dr. Charles Rockwood and Dr. David Green are perhaps best known for their infamous textbook, Rockwood and Green’s Fractures in Adults.  Their accolades, however, go far beyond their published work.  They have served in numerous leadership roles and mentored a whole generation of orthopedic surgeons.  In this episode, I sit with the two giants to discuss their careers, teaching, and the meaning of symbiosis.  

In this episode, I interview Drs. Nick Grosso and Subir Jossan.  They are partners at the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics where Dr. Grasso is president and Dr. Josan is secretary.  I wanted to learn about how they came upon their business mindset and how to develop some business background of my own.  Beyond thinking of a private practice as a small business, we dive into some bigger questions! What does applying for a job look like?  What do I want out of life? What are my values? How do I tailor my practice to help me achieve those goals?

This episode is one of my absolute favorites.  Dr. Bonnie Mason is the founder of Nth Dimensions, the number one pipeline for orthopedic surgery in the US.  In this episode, she shares her origin story into orthopedics and how it shaped her personal approach to fostering the young men and women in the Nth Dimensions pipeline.  Dr. Mason has spoken nationally on the topic of diversity and her dedication is evident in the way she eloquently explains why diversity with inclusion is pivotal for healthcare moving forward. 

  Dr. Roy Meals is a well known name in the field of hand surgery.  Dr. Meals has long been influential in academic literature and has recently ventured into blogging for the general public on his aptly named site www.aboutbone.com.  In this episode, we discuss both aspects of his literary pursuits including what it is like to be editor in chief of the Journal of Hand Surgery and what drives him to write for curious people beyond orthopedic surgeons.  We also discuss his teaching philosophy and how it was influenced by his mentor, Dr. Raymond Curtis.  I also get a chance to elicit some personal advice that is applicable to anyone applying for residencies or fellowships.    

In this episode, Julie Samora, MD, PhD speaks about her journey to the greatest specialty in the world, orthopedics.  She and her husband, Dr. Quincy Samora, who is also an orthopedic surgeon started their family while she was still in medical school.  We talk about the challenges of balancing family and career aspirations.  She is now a hand surgeon at Nationwide Children's in Columbus, OH.  Dr. Samora is also very active in the advancement of female orthopedic surgeons through the Ruth Jackson Society and with the Perry Initiative and has a lot to say about the importance of mentors and how to foster a successful mentor/mentee relationship.

This is a huge turning point for osteopathic medical training as post graduate training accreditation is being transitioned from the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  This process is incredibly important for our next generation of DO students and I sat down with Adrienne White-Faines to discuss what started the merger, where we are in the process, and what she anticipates the future GME system will look like.   Some of the questions we'll answer include: Why was the single accreditation system developed? What happens to DO orthopedic residency spots once the merger is completed? How is the merger process going?   Links -  Recording of single accreditation system 2018 Residency Match Webinar   ACGME single accreditation system FAQ - http://www.acgme.org/ Portals/0/PDFs/Nasca- Community/FAQs.pdf   AOA single accreditation system FAQ - http://www.osteopathic.org/ inside-aoa/single-gme- accreditation-system/Pages/ single-gme-student-faqs.a

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Ben Taylor.  He’s an orthopedic traumatologist by training and is currently the program director of the trauma fellowship at Grant Medical Center in Columbus OH.  He is also faculty to 5 residencies (including Grandview) and an author, question writer, and chief editor of trauma for Orthobullets.  We sit down in his office during my trauma rotation and talk about how he does it all, why he loves to teach, how to walk the fine line between pesky and persistent to get research done and get those letters of recommendation.  Dr. Taylor also shares his tips on how to enjoy what you do your entire career by keeping stress in perspective.  Then, he explains what the ankle stress view is all about.  

Dr. Gerald Williams is the immediate past president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.  In this episode, Dr. Williams and I discuss leadership.  What does it mean to be a leader? How do we develop leadership as students, residents, or attendings?  He also tells us how he decided to become a shoulder specialist and the importance of patient doctor relationship.  Listen in for words of wisdom!  

In episode 11, we’re back with Dr. Thomas DiPasquale.  In part 2, we talk specifically about the York orthopedic program philosophy and curriculum as well as veering off into one of my favorite topics, taking time to stop and smell the roses.  Dr. DiPasquale also gives two versions of advice for medical students, including how to develop your “X factor.”  This was recorded last season but these tips will be relevant for a long time to come.  We pick up where we left off last time.  As a veteran of starting trauma fellowships, Dr. Tommy D tells the story of starting his first residency.

Episode 10 features Dr. Thomas DiPasquale, program director for the York orthopedic surgery residency and trauma fellowship in New York.  While doing my research for this interview, everyone I asked said that he would have a lot to say.  I was not disappointed and thoroughly enjoyed talking with him.  He had so much to say in fact that I split our conversation into two parts but in this episode, we talk about his origin story, how a chance encounter in an elevator changed the course of his career, was almost thrown out of a conference by Dr. Joe Schatzker (of the Schatzker classification of tibial plateau fracture), and how he started three training programs, 2 trauma fellowships and an osteopathic residency.