The AOA’s premier podcast provides insights on topics critical to orthopaedic leaders, as hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA and Alexander Aleem, MD, FAOA interview key AOA members, Emerging Leaders, and CORD affiliates.

Subscribe to the Lessons in Orthopaedic Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Podcast Episodes: Season Three - Listen Now

The Journey of an Orthopaedic Carousel President: An Interview with Ann Van Heest, MD, FAOA

August 25, 2023

The American Orthopaedic Association

2023-2024 AOA President, Ann Van Heest, MD, FAOA, joins host Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, to deliver a history and background on the Orthopaedic Carousel.

Dr. Van Heest explains the exciting process of the Orthopaedic Carousel as she joins each of the English Speaking Orthopaedic Society presidents at their respective annual meetings.  Follow the podcast series to learn how the Orthopaedic Carousel serves as an international think tank to understand how the respective societies and members confront issues that challenge the care of musculoskeletal patients. The Carousel also addresses the future of orthopaedic surgery with a goal to identify common critical issues that may benefit from continued international collaboration.

AOA | USC APEX Leadership Certificate Program – The Importance of Leadership Development for Orthopaedic Leaders

July 20, 2023

The American Orthopaedic Association

J. Benjamin Jackson III, MD, MBA, FAOA (APEX 2023 Cohort) sat down with APEX Cohort members: Christopher E. Gross, MD, FAOA (APEX 2023 Cohort), Kamran S. Hamid, MD, MPH, FAOA (APEX 2023 Cohort), and David E. Lazarus, MD, FAOA (APEX 2020-2021 Cohort), to discuss their experience with the APEX program. They talked about their reasons for joining the program, the lessons they have learned, and the skills they can utilize as they progress in their careers.

AOA Annual Leadership Meeting Moderator Insights: Dynamics of Healthcare

April 27, 2023

The American Orthopaedic Association

Douglas W. Lundy, MD, FAOA, MBA, joins hosts Alexander Aleem, MD, FAOA, and Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, to deliver key insights derived from developing the first symposium session at the 2023 AOA Annual Leadership Meeting.

Dr. Lundy outlines the emerging market trends and disruptive forces impacting healthcare delivery, which will be amplified in the annual meeting symposium, The Changing Environment/Dynamic of Healthcare.  He discusses the unique backgrounds and perspectives offered by symposium panelists David S. Jevsevar, MD, FAOA, Thomas L. Miller, MD, and Scott Porter, MD, MBA, FAOA.

AOA Annual Leadership Meeting Moderator Insights: Building An Orthopaedic Culture of Safety

April 17, 2023

The American Orthopaedic Association

Cohosts Alexander Aleem, MD, FAOA, and Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA interview David Ring, MD, PhD, FAOA, about his role as Moderator for Symposium 5: Culture of Safety Across All Professional Endeavors, at the 2023 AOA Annual Meeting.

Dr. Ring discusses his personal experience with culture of safety and how it has evolved in the fifteen years that he spent at Massachusetts General Hospital as the chair of orthopaedic and patient safety committee. He shared his perspective on the importance of patient safety and how doctors can help each other in order to create a safer hospital system.

David Ring, MD, PhD, FAOA is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and the Upper Extremity Clinical Director of UT Health Austin’s Musculoskeletal Institute. He specializes in hand to shoulder surgery, of which common problems include pain, numbness, injury, infection, or a bump. Additionally, Dr. Ring is a professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care and a courtesy professor in both the Dell Medical School Department of Health Social Work and the Dell Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Tale of Two Specialties: Bone Health Views From Orthopaedics and Rheumatology

March 16, 2023

The American Orthopaedic Association

How can orthopaedic surgeons play an  important  leadership role in the bone health care of patients?

Kelly Krohn, MD, FACR, CCD, is a board certified and fellowship trained rheumatologist with The CORE Institute.  Dr. Krohn shares powerful illustrations of the importance of integrating bone health specialist perspectives into orthopaedic practice.

Kyle Jeray, MD, FAOA, Chair at Prisma Health – Upstate, is an active AOA leader and strong champion for the AOA Own the Bone program.  Dr. Jeray shares why orthopaedic surgeons should take ownership of their patient’s bone health and outlines steps to running successful bone fragility fracture prevention programs.

Trading Places – Sneak Preview Of The 2023 AOA Annual Leadership Meeting

February 6, 2023

The American Orthopaedic Association

Cohost Alexander Aleem, MD, FAOA, interviews podcast cohost, Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, about his role as chair of the 2023 AOA Annual Meeting in an exclusive event preview.

Dr. Goldfarb discusses the important symposia topics featured at the meeting, including sessions on the impact of gun violence on orthopaedics, curbing bad behavior within teams, and promoting leadership among orthopaedic faculty.  He shares details on other meeting highlights such as special guest speakers, two new forums for department chairs and vice chairs, ePosters display and presentation, and numerous networking opportunities.

Dr. Goldfarb is a Professor and Executive Vice Chair at Washington University. He’s been consistently recognized as Best Doctor in America since 2007 and has been recognized as a physician with the Top 10% Patient Satisfaction Scores at Washington University School of Medicine since 2012. He received the Palma Chironis Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016, and the Lee T. Ford Award for Academic Achievement in 2014. He was awarded the Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellowship in Hand Surgery by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2009.

Key Elements in Orthopaedic Leadership, with guest C. McCollister Evarts, MD, FAOA.

December 2, 2022

The American Orthopaedic Association

Key Elements in Orthopaedic Leadership

Guest host Jonathan Braman, MD, FAOA interviews C. McCollister Evarts, MD, FAOA to discuss how to thrive in orthopaedic positions, the traits great orthopaedic leaders have in common, and the importance of diversity in our profession. Dr. Evarts shares his leadership development path  and the reasons behind his strong devotion towards the American Orthopaedic Association.

Dr. Evarts’ longevity in the profession and his myriad of leadership roles give him a unique perspective to share with all orthopaedic surgeons. He has served as Chair of two Orthopaedic Departments and CEO and Dean to two academic health centers. Dr. Evarts served as AOA President in 1985. He has also served as President of the Hip Society, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and OMeGA Medical Grants Association. Dr. Evarts is a member of the Institute of Medicine and has been the recipient of many honors and awards—including the AOA’s Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award in 2006.

Building Value Through Organizational Structure, with guest John Eklund, PhD, MBA, DPhil, Assistant Professor at USC Marshall School of Business

October 21, 2022

The American Orthopaedic Association

Building Value Through Organizational Structure

How can healthcare firms overcome interior barriers? Is value-based care a viable option in Orthopaedics? What changes are required for growth? Can the organization’s management structure effect the success of the firm?

Alexander W. Aleem, MD, FAOA, and Charles Goldfarb, MD, FAOA host a special AOA podcast with John Eklund, PhD, MBA, DPhil, Assistant Professor at USC Marshall School of Business. Eklund discusses the importance of organizational structure and implementing efficient management practices into your everyday business. His experience as a management consultant gives a unique perspective into the growth of healthcare organizations and contributes to his expertise for adversity management. Dr. Eklund emphasizes that companies need to better allocate their resources and strategically eliminate the elements that do not provide the organization with value.

Trends and Innovations in Orthopaedics: A CEO’s Perspective With Guest Cheryl Blanchard, PhD

September 27, 2022

The American Orthopaedic Association

Trends and Innovations in Orthopaedics: A CEO’s Perspective

Hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA and Alexander Aleem, MD, FAOA sit down with Cheryl Blanchard, BS, MS, PhD, president and CEO of Anika Therapeutics, to discuss how the company is driving technological innovations to benefit patients, orthopaedic surgeons, payors, and health care organizations.

Dr. Blanchard discusses how new orthopaedic trends impact the development process and shape product offerings. She describes how the 2020 acquisitions of Arthrosurface and Parcus Medical have dramatically shortened Anika’s innovation cycles to deliver greater value to physicians, patients, and shareholders.

The conversation touches on Dr. Blanchard’s career journey, merging her expertise in medicine, engineering, and business to becoming a leader of a multi-national orthopaedics corporation.  She provides perspectives on challenging yourself professionally, including experiencing new things and not being afraid to accept a challenge.

Dr. Blanchard assumed the role of Anika’s president and chief executive officer in April 2020. She has served as president and CEO of Microchips Biotech, held senior executive positions at Zimmer-Biotech, and provided strategic consulting services to medical device companies and private equity clients. Dr. Blanchard currently serves as director of Vigil Neuroscience and Daré Bioscience.  Dr. Blanchard received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and received her B.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University.

Anika (NASDAQ: ANIK) is a global joint preservation company committed to delivering meaningful advancements in early intervention orthopedic care, including osteoarthritis pain management, regenerative solutions, soft tissue repair, and bone preserving joint technologies.

The Value of An Advanced Degree

August 22, 2022
The American Orthopaedic Association

Guest host Alexander J. Ghanayem, MD, FAOA interviews Dane Salazar, MD, FAOA, about the benefits of advanced degrees for orthopaedic surgeons.

Dr. Salazar is an accomplished shoulder and elbow surgeon at Loyola University in Chicago who recently completed his advanced degree. Salazar notes that surgeons enter the workforce with little formal exposure to business concepts. He reflects on how advanced studies help increase business acumen, sharpen leadership skills, and refine strategic thinking abilities.

Dr. Ghanayem and Dr. Salazar discuss the optimum time to return to the classroom and a myriad of program options available to emerging leaders, mid-career managers, and advanced practitioners.  Degree and certificate options are explored, including the MBA, MJ, JD, MPH, and the AOA|USC APEX Leadership Certificate Program.

Signaling: Adding Value in the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Application Process
July 05, 2022
The American Orthopaedic Association

How does signaling add value in the application process to both applicants and orthopaedic surgery residency programs?  What are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about participation in the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Supplemental ERAS® application for the upcoming 2022-2023 residency recruitment cycle, which includes preference signaling?  And how did the AOA’s Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) arrive at the maximum number of 30 signal preferences?

Alexander W. Aleem, MD, FAOA, hosts a special AOA podcast with S. Trent Guthrie, MD, FAOA, Residency Program Director for Henry Ford Hospital, and Tessa Balach, MD, FAOA, Associate Professor at The University of Chicago Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine.  Dr. Balach, Chair of the CORD/Academics Committee and Dr. Guthrie, leader of the AOA/CORD signaling work group, discuss the advantages of signaling,  the importance of academic advisors in decision-making, and practical tips for students in navigating the process.

Connecting in Person: An Interview with Dr. Steve Frick, 2022 Annual Meeting Program Chair
May 16, 2022

Our hosts Dr. Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA and Dr. Alexander Aleem, MD, FAOA interview Dr. Steven Frick.

Dr. Frick is the Division Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at Stanford University and is the Program Chair for the AOA’s 135th Annual Leadership Meeting.

Dr. Frick shares how the meeting will provide valuable opportunities to connect in-person after the pandemic prevented that for a couple of years. He also describes how this year’s meeting focuses on the need for more diversity in orthopaedics, a look at the future of orthopaedics for emerging leaders, and how different organizations can work in tandem.

Tessa Balach, MD, FAOA and Mary Mulcahey, MD, FAOA speak about the boom in resident leadership development, noting the breadth of knowledge that applicants and residents have about the world ahead of them.

Air Date: March 25, 2022

Dr. Douglas Lundy shares how he started his leadership journey in the army and what he learned from his trauma fellowship. He also discusses how leadership is a skill that needs to be developed and how irresistible leadership opportunities are when it calls on people.

Air Date: January 14, 2022

James Herndon, MD, MBA, FAOA, shares insights from his newly published title, Birth of a Specialty: A History of Orthopaedics at Harvard and Its Teaching Hospitals. The AOA is grateful to Peter E. Randall Publisher for its support of this episode.

Air Date: December 12, 2021

Laura Forese, MD, MPH, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer at New York-Presbyterian, joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD to discuss what orthopaedic leadership looks like from the C-Suite.

Air Date: October 29, 2021

Shannon Huffman Polson, author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD to discuss a critical topic for all leaders.

Episode Highlights

  • Improving diversity in a male-dominated field
  • Building grit
  • Leading by example
  • The role of mentorship in creating resilience
  • Limitations of grit

Air Date: September 19, 2021

Podcast Episodes: Season Two - Listen Now

Brandi Hartley, MD, FAOA joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD to discuss issues surrounding away rotations and orthopaedic education.

Episode Highlights

  • Importance of away rotations
  • Virtual rotation recruitment sessions and Zoom fatigue
  • Decreased applicant numbers and students backing out of externships
  • COPA’s recommendations to eliminate away rotations
  • The future of away rotations

Air Date: July 10, 2021

Tamara Scerpella, MD, Christina Morganti, MD, and Andrea Spiker, MD joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD for a two-part episode on bone health in sports medicine and osteoporosis in younger athletes, in honor of May’s National Osteoporosis Awareness Month.

Episode Highlights (Part One)

  • How osteoporosis impacts younger athletes
  • Educating younger athletes on bone mass
  • Risk factors for osteoporosis and identifying cases early on
  • Osteoporosis related injuries

Air Date: May 26, 2021

Episode Highlights (Part Two)

  • DEXA scans for younger patients
  • Stress fractures vs. stress reactions
  • Vitamin D supplementation
  • Teriparatide use in younger patients

Air Date: June 16, 2021

Vasilios (Bill) Moutzouros, MD, FAOA joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD to discuss the 2021 Virtual AOA Annual Leadership Meetings.

Episode Highlights

  • What does the AOA Annual Leadership Meeting represent?
  • How did they select topics?
  • Perks of a virtual meeting

Air Date: April 23, 2021

Joseph Hsu, MD, FAOA (@JosephHsuMD),  Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, FAOA (@marykmulcaheymd), and Jennifer Weiss, MD,  FAOA (@mymomthesurgeon) join AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD  in a discussion on creating a social media presence as orthopaedic surgeons.

Episode Highlights

  • What to consider when using social media in a professional setting
  • How the platforms differ and finding the right ones for your message
  • Connecting with patients on social media
  • How often should you post
  • Protecting patient confidentiality

Air Date: March 27, 2021

Lisa Lattanza, MD, FAOA, Chair of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale, and Rick Wright, MD, FAOA, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt, discuss navigating new leadership roles.

Episode Highlights

  • Pandemic Wisdom: Leading as a new department chair
  • The journey to becoming a chair
  • Benefits of working with an executive coach
  • Building leadership skills
  • Transitioning to a new program

Air Date: February 20, 2021

Megan Conti Mica, MD, a skilled hand and upper extremity surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Chicago, discusses navigating early practice.

Episode Highlights

  • The critical first few years of practice: the struggles that they bring and the benefits of mentors
  • How to start one’s practice broad and narrow one’s focus as practice grows
  • Discovering what one’s niche is
  • Burnout

Air Date: January 2, 2021

Mark Schultzel, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery at Synergy Orthopedic Specialists Medical Group, shares his experiences pursuing an MBA while growing a practice.

Episode Highlights

  • Orthopaedic perspectives and factors to consider when choosing an MBA program vs. an Executive MBA program
  • Balancing the time commitment of pursuing further education while building a practice
  • Avenues and opportunities an MBA education provides

Air Date: November 21, 2020

A discussion about the varying aspects of leadership with Terry R. Light, MD, FAOA. Recognized by his peers as an AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession, Dr. Light shares insights from his impressive and meaningful career, which includes mentoring orthopaedic surgery faculty and trainees over the last 43 years.

Episode Highlights:

  • Vision vs. mission
  • Different kinds of leadership
  • Leading during periods of change
  • Reaching out to encourage future leaders

Air Date: October 24, 2020

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Cassandra A. Lee, MD, FAOA, an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Residency Program Director, and Chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California Davis, discusses how programs are planning to support residency applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic in this two-part episode.

Episode Topics (Part One)

  • The advantages and limitations of virtual recruitment, including social media
  • The virtual process’ timeline and its impact on department staff and faculty
  • Planning for the use of virtual rotations after COVID-19 subsides
  • Structural changes that can ensure a successful virtual process

Air Date: September 23, 2020

Episode Topics (Part Two)

  • Additional applications questions/essays to consider
  • Ways for applicants (and programs) to stand out
  • The interview process
  • Holistic Review Process for applications
  • Prioritizing diversity

Air Date: September 30, 2020 (Part Two)

Gabriella Ode, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in knee, shoulder, and elbow surgery at Prisma Health, joins the AOA Podcast for a frank conversation on diversity.

Episode Topics (Part One)

  • The impact of early exposure to orthopaedics on underrepresented populations in orthopaedics
  • Roles of mentors and advocates
  • Fighting back about the misconceptions about diversity
  • Moving beyond tokenism
  • Diversity and recruitment

Air Date: August 6, 2020

Episode Topics (Part Two)

The measures that are being taken to increase diversity and inclusion in orthopaedics

  • AOA’s initiatives to bring issues to a national level
  • COVID-19’s impact on recruitment and how that impacts diversity in residency programs
  • Dr. Ode shares her advice to her younger self and gives her thoughts on how others can help create change

Air Date:  August 28, 2020

Rear Admiral Bruce L. Gillingham, MD, FAOA, Surgeon General of the US Navy, Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and an orthopaedic surgeon, joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD for a vibrant discussion on leadership.

Episode Topics:

  • Book recommendations for developing leaders
  • Asking interview questions to learn deeply about your candidate
  • Key lessons on teams from operational successes in Iraq that the civilian surgeon can learn from
  • Advice for orthopaedic surgeons looking to become leaders
  • His personal leadership journey
  • COVID-19 and the Navy

Air Date: July 1, 2020

Podcast Episodes: Season One - Listen Now

Lee R. Leddy, MD, FAOA, Chair of the 2020 CORD Conferences, shares insights with program hosts about how the CORD Program planned to adapt to 2020 limitations.

Episode Topics:

  • Benefits of The American Orthopaedic Association’s Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) program
  • The success of the virtual Spring CORD Conference (a virtual conference with 250+ attendees)
  • Plans for moving forward

Air Date: May 21, 2020

Daniel B. Murrey, MD, MPP, FAOA, Chief Medical Officer for Surgical Care Affiliates and President, Optum Specialty Practices about his symposium for the Virtual 2020 AOA Annual Meeting, Can We Align Conflicting Agendas: Medical Education and Value-Based Care.

Episode Topics

  • The focus on performance-based contracts in the U.S. by Medicare, Medicaid, and other payors, and implementation of value-based care
  • A discussion of resident/fellows training as it conflicts with value-based care.
  • This expert panel addresses questions regarding balancing the conflicting agendas of medical education of residents and fellows and the move toward value-based care.

Air Date: May 15, 2020

Ann Van Heest, MD, FAOA moderated a panel discussion taking place during the 2020 CORD Conference in June 2020.

Episode Topics

Dr. Van Heest provides a high-level overview on the AOA’s Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) Program, including:

  • Its collaboration with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) to standardize knowledge testing during residency as we move toward competency-based education.
  • How the symposium structure will provide a discussion of how to improve assessment during residency in order to have a consistent language across programs:
    • medical knowledge
    • patient-care skills
    • professional behavior

Air Date: May 8, 2020

William Obremskey, MD, FAOA, moderated the 2020 AOA Annual Meeting, Symposium: How to Assess Quality in an Expanding Healthcare System in June 2020.

Episode Highlights

Within growing health care systems and the focus on value, Dr. Obremsky and his panel of experts, lead an overview of five quality measures essential for program staff to be aware of.

Air Date: May 2, 2020

In this conversation, Jonathan P. Braman, MD, FAOA,  describes key points from the 2020 AOA Annual Leadership Meeting Symposium: Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Women and Minorities in Orthopaedics.

Episode Topics

Dr. Braman discusses:

  • Key challenges of recruiting and retaining women and under-represented minorities in orthopaedic surgery
  • The importance of diversity within orthopaedic healthcare
  • How he developed his interest in this topic
  • Highlighting the contributions of panelists: Katherine Gerull, MD; Scott E. Porter, MD, MBA, FACS, FAOA; and Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD

Air Date: April 25, 2020

Rex C. Haydon, MD, FAOA, 2020 Annual Leadership Meeting Program Chair discusses the benefits of the AOA’s unique annual event.

Episode Topics

Key takeaways from the podcast include:

  • How the AOA Annual Meeting provides leadership development and GME education
  • How leadership content differs from the clinical aspects of other orthopaedic meetings (lectures, discussions, and critical issues symposia)
  • Benefits of attending for surgeons across the career spectrum benefit
    • Early career surgeons gain career-boosting insights from increased leadership development and networking

Air Date: April 19, 2020

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Special thanks to Peter Martin of Peter Martin Music, Inc for the jazz introduction and conclusion.