Mastering Communication Skills

Terry Stanton

In an Annual Meeting symposium focusing on core competencies for orthopaedic residents, AAOS Second Vice-President of the University of Vermont, underscored the importance of communication skills training. "The first premise is that communication matters," said Dr. Halsey. "You as a physician cannot fully delegate this task. Patients need to hear answers from you. For this reason, communication skills training is fundamentally important."

The Need for Surgeons to Have Flexibility

Jeffrey M. Smith, MD

As surgeons, we know the importance of precision. We are exact. We are meticulous. And we are this way because a misstep could cause serious, irreversible injury. But that obsessive compulsiveness does not need to permeate every aspect of our world. By learning to master mental and emotional flexibility, we can receive more happiness and joy from our normally rigid practices and lives. I live in San Diego, the host city for the upcoming AAOS Annual Meeting in 2017.

Sound Off: Why Orthopaedic Surgeons Need a Curriculum

Richard H. Gross, MD

When I was preparing for my certification boards in the early 1970s, the process was fairly simple. Orthopaedics had just three main journals—The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, and Orthopedic Clinics of North America—so "keeping up" with the literature was not an impossible task. Specialization was in its infancy and fellowships were few, so the knowledge base was implicitly aimed at the competence of a community orthopaedic surgeon.