As I write this, we are in dark times. Over 23,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, and there are half a million diagnosed cases – even with testing far from comprehensive. Most cities are on some sort of lockdown. Most of us have become hyperaware of hygiene and personal space in a way that only those thought of as germaphobes have – it’s now the norm. Individuals and businesses …
How a physician finds laughter during this dark time
During this time of social distancing, most of us are struggling to keep our social connections alive. I found that in this flurry of planning how to continue to care for my orthopaedic patients, making sure childcare is lined up, and setting up “decontamination zones” in my home for my critical care doc husband and me when we come home for the hospital – that I really missed connecting with …
Recently, I read this great article from Dr. Chethan Sathya, a male surgeon who commented on how women surgeons in this day and age are still treated as second class surgeons. There has been much good commentary and discussion on the topic, particularly on Twitter. But almost as if on cue, a different male surgeon chimed in with the following comment:
I’m 100% sure u will prefer …
How can women surgeons change the dominant culture and not alienate the majority?
This year, I learned that to have success and fulfillment, you don’t just do, sometimes you have to undo.
What do I mean by that? The process of undoing — or editing — it a key part of different areas of our lives. For example, we edit in medicine all the time. Think about the medical student’s SOAP note: the subjective story, the objective findings, the assessment, and the plan. Imagine …
To have success and fulfillment, sometimes you have to edit your life
As a female orthopaedic surgeon, I am often asked how I ended up in this field. Although seeing women in orthopaedic surgery is becoming more common, we are still makeup only 6 percent of the orthopaedic surgeons in the U.S.
I actually had no idea what orthopedic surgery was before medical school. In fact, I started medical school thinking I would be an internist, but it really didn’t take me very …
The inspiring story of a female orthopaedic surgeon
It took me a long time to put a name to what I was feeling. Only recently had I started to read about imposter syndrome. I’ve had this feeling multiple times throughout my life, and it always had the potential to pull me backward instead of allowing me to propel forward towards my goals.
I had this feeling when I made it into college, then again in medical school. Even when …
How this physician fought imposter syndrome
I’m an orthopaedic surgeon, but if you told me I’d be here when I graduated from college, I’d be laughing at you. When I got started in college, I thought I was going to be pre-med and apply to medical school. It was not a well-thought-out decision. I thought that this was what good Chinese-American children do: Grow up to become doctors. It became clear that this goal was parent-driven …
The journey from a low GPA to an orthopaedic surgeon
In general, physical activity is important in maintaining your health. Many people falsely believe that running can cause arthritis but research show that this isn’t necessarily true.
In reality, walking, running or strenuous exercise can significantly decrease risk of any knee osteoarthritis. Doctors are still trying to understand how running can improve knee arthritis, with continual research studies.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis caused by trauma or overuse …
As a sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon, I often see patients with complaints at their elbow. One of the more common diagnoses is tennis elbow, otherwise known as lateral epicondylitis. Surprisingly, most of my patients with this condition don’t even play tennis! Many types of repetitive arm movement can lead to tennis elbow. It all has to do with the tendons in our arms.
Tendons are the structures that hold muscle to …
An orthopedic surgeon’s guide to tennis elbow
Ski season is here, and it’s time to think about how we can avoid injuries on the slopes. As an orthopaedic surgeon, I most often see knee injuries, but also plenty of wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries as well.
Hopefully, you’ve done some pre-season conditioning — but if not, go ahead and start now! Obviously, avoid a heavy workout the day before your first ski day, but if you have time …
How to prevent ski injuries: tips from an orthopedic surgeon
Love avocados, but hate cutting them. They are slippery little rascals and are responsible for many nasty hand injuries.
Stab wounds from using knives in the kitchen are not fun but are reported daily. Accidental self-inflicted knife injuries to digits are a common cause of tendon and nerve injury requiring hand surgery.
Many of us do not think about how much you use “your hands for your senses.”
Until you lose that ability …
How to cut avocados: tips from an orthopedic surgeon
Over the last 20 years, physical fitness as a means to improve overall health has increased among the over-40 set. This is great, right? Yes, absolutely. Athletes who remain active as they age do a better job than non-athletes in retaining lean muscle mass. They also show improved bone density, bone structure and bone strength. However, what physicians are seeing are injuries related to the increased level of activity.
One area …
ACL injuries in middle-age athletes
A number of major cities have seen shared e-scooters, or electrical scooters, take over their streets. It’s certainly popular with the riders, but it is creating waves with a lot of critics as well. In Portland, Oregon, there are four companies trialing the scooters over a several-month period. Driving around my city, I find that we are being inundated with scooters being used on the sidewalk, on the streets, in …
An orthopedic surgeon’s take on the e-scooter craze
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