Kelly Bach
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Physician
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Member Since: 2019
How has the AAOS helped you during residency?
The AAOS has helped me throughout residency by providing numerus educational resources. From ResStudy to the JAAOS “Yellow Journal,” AAOS has supplemented my education every step of the way.
As a Resident Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
As a resident member, ResStudy has been my lifeline for preparing for the OITE. I have found the ResStudy questions to be the most representative of the in-training exam, and it’s extremely helpful to have the original literature provided along with the answer explanations. I also frequently use the Orthopaedic Video Theatre to prepare for cases while I’m working on my pre-operative plans. I’m a very visual learner, so the ability to “see one” before I “do one” (and eventually “teach one”!) has been crucial to my preparation for the operating room.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
The best advice I was given at the start of residency was from one of UCSF’s graduates, Sachin Allahabadi. “The hardest choice is likely the right choice.” This advice has run through my head time and time again during residency thus far. As an intern, it means going to bedside in the middle of the night to evaluate the patient having pain. As a consult resident, it means re-doing a reduction that isn’t perfect, visiting the XR suite in person to help get that perfect lateral of the elbow, going above and beyond to ensure that you’re taking exceptional care of the patient. In the operating room, it’s being willing to take out the hardware and revise the reduction, even if it adds hours to a long case. In the future, as an attending surgeon, it will be running towards and not away from my complications, spending the most time with my patients who are the least happy. This advice helps motivate me when I’m at my most stressed or fatigued, reminding me of the privilege we have in caring for patients and the duty we have to give them the best possible outcome.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
My go-to productivity trick is pretty simple: I take myself to a coffee shop, turn my phone on silent and hide it in my backpack, put in some headphones tuned to Chill Folk or Easy Acoustic Spotify, and crank out the work. Making the effort to get out and being surrounded by other people working is enough to guilt me into intense (ideally) productivity. My other trick is studying while I’m on my stationary bike – even a little bit of blood pumping really helps me stay engaged, and I can pretend that I’m just exercising instead of working!
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
I’ve been trying to keep a “one line a day” journal for the past few years! We’re all so busy that it feels like life is flying by, and I’m trying to build in some more intentional reflection at the end of each day. I love looking back at what I was doing and thinking a year previously when I write each day’s entry.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
When I’m not in the hospital, I spend as much time as possible outside in the mountains. I love mountain/gravel biking and road cycling, and I also love hiking and camping. San Francisco is a dream city for outdoor access, so I have been very fortunate during residency to be able to rejuvenate in the woods during my free time. Further afield, I’ve recently been able to squeeze in hiking the Kalalau trail in Hawaii and the Berlin High Trail in Austria during my vacations. Within the city limits, I love park day with friends and exploring different neighborhoods.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
A fun fact about me is that I went to circus camp in middle school, so I can juggle on a unicycle. My friends and I used to unicycle around the school campus during recess.