5 Key Concepts for Highly Effective Spine Surgeons

1. Set your priorities. While developing and maintaining a thriving spine practice is a top goal, spine surgeons must also work to make family and friends a high priority or risk those relationships deteriorating. Though not revenue generating, endeavors such as spending time with important people and pursuing enjoyable activities will increase a physician's quality of life.

“Orthopedic and spine surgeons have an 'all-in' mentality," says Renato Bosita, MD, MBA, is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon with the Texas Back Institute in Plano. While the passion for treating patients and performing research will help a surgeon's practice become successful, it can also lead to the demise of important relationships.

"When you set the right priorities, you will accomplish all you need to," Dr. Bosita says. "Once a week I have to cut my OR time short to take my 4-year-old to swim lessons, but that's OK because that is time very well spent."

2. Practice mental fitness. Surgeons often suffer from burn-out due to stressful professional requirements or the after-affects of their careers on family relationships, causing depression or unhappiness.

"I believe relaxing distractions, medication and/or brain fitness exercises can be very helpful for spine surgeons," says Amir Vokshoor, MD, a neurological spine surgeon with DISC Sports & Spine in Marina Del Rey, Calif. "In the future, I think we will have brain fitness technologies that are simply accessible to make us more creative, more focused, more relaxed and optimize the processing of information and marinating what surgeons, fighter pilots and supreme athletes all have in common: the need to stay in the zone and perform at the 'A' game function level."

In addition to hobbies, spine surgeons should set aside special family time. "It's been my goal to always try to make time for both family as well as outside interests and I think it's even healthier for a surgeon in their practice to avoid burnout," says Dr. Vokshoor. "The mundane nature of almost any task can become a source of angst, boredom or unhappiness in their career. I noticed this already in some of my co-residents and attendings alike and became alarmed, so now I take time away from the practice to distract from the intensity."

3. Take control of your calendar. When events or activities are important, they should be scheduled into a surgeon's daily calendar just as OR time would.

Many surgeons do not manage their own calendars and have secretaries or assistants tell them where to be and when. Take back control of your schedule, says Dr. Bosita. Know what your work demands are for a given day and if events come up that are of greater priority, clear your schedule.

"The world will not end if I don't operate every day until night time. I would go insane if I didn't see my wife and kids enough," he says. "When I put in my calendar there's a piano recital at 6 p.m. Thursday, I make sure my secretary knows I cannot be late leaving the hospital."

4. Invest in educating other surgeons and yourself. Career-long education is important to stay on the cutting-edge and build a strong network with colleagues. In an academic setting, surgeons can mentor residents and fellows. Beyond the initial education, surgeons can teach courses for other surgeons as ongoing education or new techniques develop.
 

"Educate others, including other surgeons as well as internists and therapists so that everyone involved with treating the patient understands what you do as the surgeon," says Amer Samdani, MD, chief of surgery at Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa. "When we take care of the patients that are multi-faceted, different faces of that care appreciate learning about others. This type of education has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. I explain postoperative restrictions with therapy and why we order certain tests. That's an important piece of care that can be delivered in any setting."

 
National conferences are a good opportunity for spine surgeons to stay educated about their field.
 

"Attend these conferences, both local and national, which will really help you develop a network of similarly-minded people and you'll get to learn from them," says Dr. Samdani. "You should also have appropriate mentors in the community, whether it's someone at your own institution or someone at the national level. These people have seen most things and often welcome junior surgeons to partner with them. That played a huge role in helping to mold my practice and career."

5. Exercise humility. Humility is a key quality for professionals in any arena, including medicine. Physicians are sometimes perceived as arrogant or inaccessible, which drives people away. Exercising humility can foster important relationships with patients and colleagues that go a long way to building a strong practice.

"Treat all your staff, OR personnel with respect and kindness," says K. Daniel Riew, MD, Mildred B. Simon Distinguished Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Chief, Cervical Spine Surgery, Washington University Orthopedics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. "Apologize if you make a mistake or lose your temper. They can be your biggest advocates or your worst PR disasters. Being condescending, losing your temper and being petty or mean is the surest way you have of insuring that people will speak ill of you or jump at the chance to testify against you in a malpractice case."

Young physicians can go a step further to let their colleagues know how much they appreciate their work. "As a new surgeon, you would be amazed at how quickly you can develop a great or sinking reputation in less than one month," says Michael Gleiber, MD, founder and CEO of Michael A. Gleiber, MD, PA, Spine Surgery. "In the OR, take your time and treat everyone from the scheduling desk to the scrub tech nicely. Let them know how much you appreciate their help."

Humility can win young physicians favor with established physicians in the area.

More Articles on Spine Surgeons:
Leadership & Innovation in Spine Fellowship Programs: Q&A With Dr. Richard Guyer of Texas Back Institute
31 Spine Surgeons Leading Fellowship Programs
5 Thoughts From Spine Surgeons on the Future of Spine Surgery