Nick Abate, DO
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Member Since: 2023
How has the AAOS helped you during residency?
As a rising 4th year resident, I have been frequently turning to the member page for fellowship searching and career planning. There are great resources on there all compiled in one place which helps save time.
As a Resident Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
AAOS has helped progress me as a resident through their various educational resources. I frequently utilize the Resident Orthopedic Core Knowledge (ROCK) as a resource, especially for deeper dives. I use it to ensure I understand the concepts and anatomy as opposed to strict memorization. I also often use the video theater to help prepare for cases, and of course use ResStudy to help test content mastery.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
As an undergraduate I was fortunate to have lunch with James J. Maguire the founder of The Philadelphia Insurance Companies and a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University – my alma mater. He taught me that to maintain a healthy lifestyle one must obtain balance in their professional life, physical life, social life, and spiritual life. I often think of this as a pie; when one slice gets too big I know it’s time to shift focus to maintain balance.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I like to write all my tasks for the day on a Post-It note with the time in the day that the task should be complete. I write these notes before bed so there is no thinking about what I need to accomplish when I wake up. It’s just time for execution.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
One thing I’m trying to make a habit is a monthly financial check-in. I listen to White Coat Investor a lot and he often talks about how poorly planned financial decisions made as a medical student and resident can have a big impact on finances as an attending. Trying to build strong financial habits when the numbers are small is the goal.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
The spring time has got me thinking a lot about my garden which I will plant in the coming weeks. I like to play tennis with my wife and recently started to take up golf.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know.
Every summer my whole family spends a day jarring tomatoes so we have sauce for the year. It’s a great tradition for the family to come together, accomplish a task, and have a reward for the whole year when we’re finished.