Lane McCoy
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
Member Since: 2024
Why did you join AAOS?
I joined AAOS to connect me with the latest and greatest orthopedics work on the scene, meet new mentors across the country, and help me build my student and research network. Additionally, I am hoping to find more ways to contribute uniquely to the practice through research and novel technological innovation. Some of my biggest interests are in devices that maximize orthopedic injury prevention, and I also joined to have a network to explore this further.
What are you looking forward to most about AAOS?
I'm looking most forward to engaging with orthopedic surgeons through AAOS conferences, learning more about the field and how it advances every day. From these engagements, I hope to better prepare myself for a career in orthopedic surgery.
What interested you about orthopaedics?
Orthopedics interests me because of its dependence on carpentry and handiwork, activities I thrive in. The mechanical and physics aspect -- accounting for forces in a variety of planes, equilibriums, and tensions -- reminds me of my time spent building houses for volunteer networks. Except now, I can employ these skills to change the lives of people facing debilitating conditions.
What is the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
My dad always tells me that before I touch any scalpel, drill, or saw - I have to know the anatomy. Typical advice from a radiologist but nonetheless extremely valuable. Not only have I kept this in mind while working with surgeons, but I have dedicated myself to becoming, as I say, one with the anatomy on the imaging. Heeding this advice has helped me advance in my confidence in surgery throughout medical school.
What's one thing you're currently trying to make a habit?
My go to productivity trick is using a To-Do list. The feeling of checking something off the list is so encouraging that I cannot help but be productive. It is my extrinsic motivation to get things done, so to speak, while maintaining organization and limiting procrastination. One thing I am trying to make a habit of is riding a bike. Personally, I have always been a runner, and I feel like getting a bike would be a great and fun change of pace. It would also improve the quality of my knees, which was dramatically reduced after a few half marathons.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
Hobbies I enjoy in my spare time include running long distances, lifting weights, cooking new recipes from vintage cookbooks, kickboxing, constructing houses or other projects, and writing code for fun side activities or entertainment. For example, I recently worked with a friend to write a script for an Anki add-on that plays "Lizard" after marking cards as Easy.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know!
I was a college fencer (yes, with swords), and it still remains one of my most unique personality traits. My inspiration to start fencing, the usual follow-up question, is from wanting to be as good a duelist as Darth Vader from Star Wars.