Furkan Karakas, MD
Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine
Turkey
Member Since: 2025
Why did you join AAOS?
I joined AAOS to stay connected to the most current orthopaedic education and research while building relationships with mentors and peers who share my passion for restoring movement. As an internationally trained medical student planning a career in orthopaedics, I value AAOS as a trusted hub for evidence-based learning, surgical preparation, and professional community. I’m also excited by the culture of innovation in our specialty, especially where biomechanics, imaging, and implant/device design can directly improve outcomes and help patients return to the activities they love. I’ve also enjoyed contributing to AAOS education by authoring a post on Sounds from the Training Room.
What are you looking forward to most about AAOS?
I’m most looking forward to the Annual Meeting and the chance to learn directly from leaders through scientific sessions, skills-focused programming, and the medical student community. I want to follow emerging research, understand how experts think through challenging cases, and translate those lessons into better clinical reasoning and research questions. I’m also excited to meet collaborators and mentors in person, contribute by presenting research, and stay actively involved throughout the year.
What interested you about orthopaedics?
My interest in orthopaedics comes from a simple idea: movement is medicine. I’m drawn to a field where anatomy, biomechanics, and precise technique can quickly change a person’s function and quality of life. As someone who enjoys basketball, kickboxing/Muay Thai, and salsa dancing, I see every day how small changes in strength, balance, and joint mechanics affect performance and confidence. Orthopaedics lets me combine hands-on problem-solving with long-term impact—helping patients return not only to walking, but to living fully.
What is the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
A mentor in orthopaedics told me: “Be excellent at the basics—know the anatomy, respect the soft tissues, and never rush the decision.” That advice shaped how I approach both surgery and research. When I slow down to understand the problem, define the goal, and plan the steps, the work becomes safer, clearer, and more effective. It also reminds me that technical skill matters, but judgment and preparation matter just as much.
What's one thing you're currently trying to make a habit?
I’m building the habit of a daily “one-page” routine: one important paper read (or one section of a guideline), one short note of what I learned, and one small action step for the next day. It keeps me consistently updated, strengthens my clinical reasoning, and slowly builds a personal reference library I can use on rotations and in research.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love activities that keep me moving and connected to people: salsa dancing, kickboxing/Muay Thai, and basketball. They’re fun, but they also teach balance, timing, and teamwork skills that translate surprisingly well to life in medicine. Training also helps me reset mentally and stay disciplined during demanding weeks.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know!
I started salsa dancing as a challenge outside medicine, and it became one of my favorite ways to learn rhythm, coordination, and confident communication without words. Now I joke that it’s my “biomechanics lab” after hours: footwork, posture, and timing just with better music.