Ray Jolly, PA-C
Lead APP
EmergeOrtho Coastal Division
General Orthopaedics
Wilmington, NC
Member Since: 2024
How has the AAOS helped you throughout your career?
AAOS has helped me significantly over the years. It’s where I find information both for my patients and for myself. It continues to expand my knowledge through online journals and videos, and it’s where I obtain my CME, whether online or by attending one of the many courses the AAOS offers throughout the year.
As an Allied member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
That is a tough one, because it’s really split between three. I use OrthoInfo multiple times throughout the week, either for providing information on a patient’s particular condition or by sending them the link to help them better understand what they’re dealing with. I use the Orthopaedic Video Theater for myself, to get up to speed on unfamiliar surgeries and stay current for the benefit of the whole orthopaedic team. But the one I lean on most is OrthoGuidelines. As Lead APP of the Coastal Division, I onboard all of our new APPs and manage 65+ APPs, and OrthoGuidelines is invaluable for education and protocols—both for the new hires and for the group as a whole.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
My orthopaedic PA preceptor during PA school gave me two pieces of advice—one during my rotation.
First: “If you don’t know, say “I don’t know, let me find out.” A confident wrong answer is the fastest way to lose a patient’s trust, and that trust is very hard to earn back.
Second: “Be the one who closes the loop—the callback, the MRI report, the prior authorization.” That reputation compounds faster than clinical knowledge alone.
The advice I’d give someone today is to give back to our profession and teach. Be a preceptor for the countless APP students looking to do an orthopaedic rotation or whatever specialty you are in. Over the years, I’ve precepted students from nearly every PA school in North Carolina and multiple APPs from programs across the country. Even with a busy schedule, I manage to make time to teach. Students keep you young, on your toes, and up to date
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
Pick three priorities each morning, not ten, and write them down. And kill the notifications on your device. Check your work, not your apps.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
I got interested in ultrasound a couple of years ago, initially for injections, but now I’m focused on learning diagnostic ultrasound, and I’m getting better at scanning and interpreting. Even with a busy schedule, I pick at least three patients a day to scan—usually patients who’ve just had an MRI. I scan them before looking at the MRI results then compare my findings to the radiologist’s.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
Boating, fishing, and music festivals when I have the time. But you can’t beat a day by the pool or at the beach with my wife and kids on the weekends.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
I was born and raised in Alaska, a long way from the beaches of North Carolina.