Andreas Fontalis, MD, PhD
Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery Resident
Percivall Pott Orthopaedic Training Program
Honorary Associate Professor
University College London
London, United Kingdom
Member Since: 2024
How has the AAOS helped you throughout your career?
AAOS has helped me look beyond my own training program and see orthopaedics from a broader perspective. The Annual Meeting has been a real highlight for me—presenting my work, hearing how surgeons from different centers approach the same problems and seeing where the evidence and technology are going. Beyond the formal sessions, I have also really valued the conversations with people working on similar problems in different parts of the world. It has helped keep my clinical training and research connected to what is happening internationally, which matters to me. It’s easy to train in one system and never see beyond it. AAOS has been one of the main ways I have learned not to do that.
As an International Resident Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
I use JAAOS and OVT most. JAAOS is where I go when a question comes up in clinic or theatre and I want to understand the evidence properly, and it's just as useful when I'm working out where the gaps are for a research question. I use the OVT before cases—watching an experienced surgeon work through the key steps and the decisions behind them is invaluable.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
My father always told me, "If you say you're going to do something, do it." Probably the best advice I've had.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I try not to wait for the perfect block of free time. If I have 20 minutes between things, I use the 20 minutes. A surprising amount gets done that way.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
I’m trying to make swimming a regular part of my week even when things get busy.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
Basketball, paintball, and theater—usually plays rather than musicals. I try to get to a play in the West End whenever I can and I also enjoy flying RC aircraft.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
I’ve loved aviation since I was a kid. I’ve collected models for years and I still fly RC aircraft. I’ve also done a few full flight simulator sessions.