Charlie D. Wilson, MD
Hand Surgery Fellow
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
How has the AAOS helped you throughout your career?
AAOS has been instrumental in my residency and fellowship experience primarily through educational content and networking opportunities. In residency, I found JAAOS review articles to be a helpful source of up-to-date information when making decisions on primary call or formulating surgical treatment plans as a senior resident. The AAOS ResStudy question bank was my number one resource when studying for the ABOS part 1 exam. I was fortunate enough to attend two AAOS Annual Meetings during residency and used those opportunities to network with future fellowship mentors. I was also a member of the Resident Assembly, which was a great way to meet future orthopaedic colleagues.
As a Fellowship Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
Thankfully, I have secured a job as an orthopaedic hand surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Health in Temple, TX. But prior to that job materializing, I regularly scoped the AAOS Career Center for hand surgery opportunities and had several interviews because of those job board listings.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
In Lord of the Rings, Frodo tells Gandalf that he wishes the ring had never come to him and that he wishes he was not in his current circumstances. Gandalf says in return "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." I think that is sound advice in many stages of life. But the best orthopaedic advice I have ever gotten is on surgical dissection, from Russell Ward: "Charlie, you can't be a pilot if you can't find the plane."
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I do my best to focus on work while I'm at work and focus on my family when I'm at home. I get as much work done as I can until 5 pm, then stop so I can be home in time for dinner. Whatever I didn't finish, I wake up early the next day to wrap up. Having that time with my wife and kids to look forward to every evening motivates me to work efficiently with spare bits of time that I do get during the day.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
Exercising at least a few times per week.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love teaching my kids card games, like Uno and Go Fish. I love watching movies at home with my wife. In my own time, I enjoy playing fantasy football.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
As a kid, I was in a commercial for a Star Wars Millennium Falcon toy.