Residents’ Perspective on the AAOS Annual Meeting

Derek Amanatullah, MD - UC Davis

The 2011 AAOS meeting in San Diego was my first AAOS meeting with a poster presentation. It was nice to have something to contribute to the content of the meeting this year, and I hope it is the first of many presentations. Additionally, I attended the resident liaison committee meeting for the first time. The updates at this meeting regarding the new ACGME guidelines were critical. However, I found them deeply concerning and borderline threatening to my current education as a resident and the training of future orthopaedic surgeons. As usual, the numerous scientific presentations and industrial exhibits were excellent, but I must say a highlight of the meeting was Lou Holtz’s speech. I found it simultaneously humorous, motivating, and grounding. I am grateful for the inspiration and look forward to San Francisco in 2012.

Alexander E. Weber, MD - University of Michigan

Below are a few of my thoughts on the conference...

From a junior resident’s perspective there is a tremendous amount of excitement and anticipation regarding attending the Annual Academy meeting. When you first arrive and receive the massively thick program some of the excitement is replaced by a sense of astonishment. Once you get over these initial emotions it is a real honor and privilege to partake and learn at the Academy meeting. There is such a depth and breadth of knowledge and such a tremendous amount of learning to be had given the motivation. The ICL's and podium presentations offer a vast educational experience, covering topics in all subspecialties and research fields from bench top to bedside.

When you are not learning within the conference rooms there were a number of fantastic opportunities to network and converse with resident colleagues and attending surgeons. Again, from a junior resident’s perspective, there was as much to learn outside the confines of the conference rooms as there was to learn within.

Having left the conference and had time to reflect on the experience I can honestly say that nothing motivates a young resident to work harder clinically and conduct research more than seeing the productivity at the Academy Meeting. I'm really looking forward to attending again next year.

Nick Kenny, MD – University of Florida

As a fourth year resident I had the opportunity to attend my first AAOS Annual Meeting in San Diego this past February. It was an eye-opening experience to the wealth of knowledge, skill, and leadership evident in our representative body as orthopedic surgeons. Sometimes in our calling as physicians, just as in life, we adjust our lenses to focus squarely on that which is directly in front of us. This obviously is a necessary and good response, allowing us to be completely dedicated to the task, or surgery, at hand. However, it also can limit our appreciation of everything around us that is trying to accomplish similar goals.

For me, the Annual Meeting helped shatter a myopic view of orthopedic surgery and encourage a renewed focus on continual improvement. The Symposia and Podium Presentations brought to life new methods and techniques for tackling any number of surgical quandaries. The poster presentations throughout the exhibit hall invited a casual, thought-provoking stroll through countless hours of dedication, attempting to answer the questions I had pondered, or those I never even considered. Perhaps most importantly, the posters cultivated new interests and questions for me, feeding my hunger for excellent patient care through the best possible methods, achieving the most predictable outcomes.

The Instructional Course Lectures were a great source of knowledge, revealing the “giants” of our field and their practical understanding and approach to nearly every orthopedic topic. I was able to learn their technical tricks for difficult situations, but even more importantly I began to understand the underlying thought process, answering not only “how” but also “why.” Finally, the Presidential Address by Dr. Berry highlighted the challenges facing our profession and our tactical approach to supporting all orthopedic surgeons, ensuring me the opportunity to provide the best possible care to my patients. The presentation by guest speaker Lou Holtz brought laughter, inspiration, and a challenge to continually focus on the gravity of our position, being entrusted with our patients’ lives. It is with these tools from the Annual Meeting that I am now renewing my efforts in self-development to provide the best possible care to my patients. I will look forward to the Annual Meeting from now on to continue to challenge me in this primary goal.

Mark Morrey, MD – Mayo Clinic

Overwhelming, organized, engaging, educational and many more adjectives could be used to describe the 2011 AAOS annual meeting held in San Diego this year. This was my first attendance at the meeting as a resident, and as I walked through the building to get my badge on the first day, I was overwhelmed by the absolute scope and size of the meeting. I was amazed at how well organized everything was, from registration to travel to and from the convention center. I could not help but think about what a logistical nightmare it must have been to put everything together from the posters and educational exhibits to the scientific presentations, ICL’s and presidential addresses. All of the events went off without a hitch which is a testament to the leadership and organization of our academy.

Initially, it was a bit like trying to take a drink of water from a fire hydrant. However, after the initial shock and sensory overload, I was quickly engaged by a number of interesting poster and educational videos. After attending my first instructional course lecture, I was hooked. The educational components to the meeting were outstanding. Nowhere else can you learn from all of the experts in the field under one roof. I would caution the 1^st time attendee to take some time away from the hubbub and carefully look over the list of events to strategically plan your meeting days to get the most out of your experience. The academy makes this easy with the online registration and the in-person registration at the meeting itself. In addition, there were always plenty of people to help out. By the end of the week, I left tired, but truly inspired to continue to read and to question how I treat my future patients. The meeting truly underscored the importance of continuing education. The only problem was that I didn’t have enough slots in the day to see everything.

Patrick W. O’Donnell MD, PhD - University of Minnesota

The 2011 AAOS annual meeting was a complete success!  Everything from the excellent venue, great food, presentations/exhibits, camaraderie, and scientific meetings made this year one to remember. As a resident liaison to the AAOS, without the pressure of a research presentation, I was able to enjoy this year’s meeting to the fullest.

To many of us, San Diego in February offers a substantial improvement in climate. I left four feet of snow in Minneapolis to arrive in beautiful sunny southern California, greeted by warm 60-70 degree temperatures. While several days saw torrential downpours, the weather didn’t slow down the overall pace of the meeting. Personally, despite the weather, I was able to enjoy outdoor activities every day.

The highlight of this year’s meeting was my ability to solidify a faculty position after finishing training. My job search has been a multiyear process with many highs and lows; overwhelming to say the least. While I went to San Diego confident of my chosen career path, I left convinced that my family and I were making the correct decision.

While this meeting may have been just another year to many attendees, I personally will never forget the 2011 AAOS annual meeting.