The Bonehead Podcast

Welcome back listeners! The ninth episode of our Conversations series features a generational leader, Dr. Alexander Vaccaro, an orthopedic spine surgeon, President of the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, the Richard H. Rothman Professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In this episode, he reflects on the values instilled in him by his mentors, managing a research powerhouse with the business aspects of a large private practice, and his perspectives on maintaining authenticity as a trainee pursuing orthopedics. Tune in to learn more about his journey into becoming one of the most influential leaders not only in spine surgery, but also in the field at large.

Welcome back listeners! The eighth episode of our Conversations series features a lineup of exceptional orthopaedic applicants who recently matched into some of the top institutions nationwide. Many of our dear friends enjoyed great success in the 2025 match cycle and we wanted to share their insights with you. We hope that our listeners are able to benefit from learning about our panelists’ unique experiences and pearls of wisdom gained throughout their journey into orthopaedic residency. We personally look up to these superstars as our peer mentors and hope that this episode can be helpful to your journey as well.

Welcome back listeners! The seventh episode of our Conversations series features an exceptionally strong orthopedic resident at Hospital for Special Surgery, Dr. Joshua Bram. Josh is a PGY-4 who is planning to pursue an academic career in pediatric orthopaedics. He is very active in research, leading several projects that are pushing the boundaries of innovation forward, not to mention serving as a mentor to many young researchers like Patrick who is currently on a research year at HSS. In this episode, he discusses his path to a prestigious orthopedic residency, cultivating his research niches, and the importance of not only finding great mentors, but also paying it forward as one. Tune in to hear more about the making of a rising star in the field.

Welcome back listeners! In this Conversations episode of The Bonehead Podcast, we interview two stellar medical students who are currently on their orthopedic surgery research years between their third and fourth years of medical school. We are joined by a friend of the show, Ms. Olivia Tracey, a fellow Downstate student who is currently a Leon Root Research Fellow in the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics at the Hospital for Special Surgery. We are also joined by an outstanding Mr. Perry Lim, who is a student at Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and currently an exceptional research fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Department of Arthroplasty. We touch on vital themes pertinent to understanding the orthopedic surgery research year, including the decision to pursue it in the first place, specifics of their positions, essential skills and characteristics, and advice for those interested in undertaking such a fellowship. These two mentors generously offered their salient advice to us as we navigated this process, and we were inspired to share that with you, our listeners, with the hope that it could help those currently applying to research year positions or considering them in the future.

References:

Tidd JL, Piuzzi NS. A Research Year for Medical Students. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Jan 3;106(1):78-83. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.23.00340. Epub 2024 Jan 3. PMID: 38170203.

Swiontkowski MF. The Orthopaedic Research Year: Faculty Mentors Must Hold up Their Part of the Deal. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Jan 3;106(1):1. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.23.01167. Epub 2024 Jan 3. PMID: 38170202.

Welcome back listeners! In the first episode of The Bonehead Podcast in 2024, we discuss a fascinating paper looking at the emergence of private equity (PE) in the space of orthopaedic surgery. We mainly cover a comprehensive review article in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) by Dr. Alpesh Patel and his team, titled “Private Equity and Its Emergence in Orthopaedics,” with contributions from several other articles on the topic. In summary, we touch on what private equity is, its model in orthopaedics compared to other specialties, its appeal on both sides of the coin, and risks and considerations of a proposed partnership between PE and orthopaedic surgeons.

References:

Patel AA, Fernandez C, Mazmudar A. Private Equity and Its Emergence in Orthopaedics. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2021 Oct 15;29(20):e1005-e1012. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-21-00058. PMID: 34288894.

Boddapati V, Danford NC, Lopez CD, Levine WN, Lehman RA, Lenke LG. Recent Trends in Private Equity Acquisition of Orthopaedic Practices in the United States. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2022 Apr 15;30(8):e664-e672. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-21-00783. PMID: 35077400.

​​Bruch JD, Gondi S, Song Z. Changes in Hospital Income, Use, and Quality Associated With Private Equity Acquisition. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Nov 1;180(11):1428-1435. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3552. PMID: 32833006; PMCID: PMC7445629.

Lachiewicz PF. What's Important: Private Equity Arrangements in Orthopaedic Surgery: Enter at Your Own Risk. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Jan 23. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.23.01298. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38261659.

Moses MJ, Weiser LG, Bosco JA 3rd. The Corporate Practice of Medicine: Ethical Implications of Orthopaedic Surgery Practice Ownership by Non-Physicians. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020 Jun 3;102(11):e53. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.19.01404. PMID: 32496745.

Welcome back listeners! The fifth episode of our Conversations series features an inspiring guest, Dr. Paul Cagle, a shoulder and elbow orthopedic surgeon and Associate Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also the Associate Program Director of their orthopedic residency program. This conversation is a full-circle moment for our co-host Patrick, as Dr. Cagle played an instrumental role in influencing him to pursue a career in orthopedics after a summer of shadowing. In this episode, Dr. Cagle walks us through his unique training path that included a traveling fellowship in France, the importance of remaining flexible in one’s career, his transition from being a high-performing athlete to high-performing orthopedic surgeon, and his unique advice from the perspective of someone who calls the shots at one of the most renowned residencies in New York City.

Welcome back listeners! The fourth episode of our Conversations series features a very special guest, Dr. Qais Naziri, an adult reconstruction surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Dr. Naziri also serves as the Associate Program Director at Downstate’s orthopedic surgery residency program. In this episode, he touches on the grit and perseverance in his own journey, a genuine love for orthopedics as the defining measure of "fit", and the importance of striving for excellence everyday. We certainly were inspired by our dialogue with Dr. Naziri, and we hope that you will be too.

Welcome back listeners! The third episode of our Conversations series features a very exciting guest, Dr. Saad Chaudhary, an orthopedic spine surgeon and Associate Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also the Associate Program Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship there. In this episode, he takes a deep dive into orthopedic spine training, developments in minimally invasive techniques, and key characteristics in ambitious medical students valued by program directors. Tune in to hear more about not only his journey towards becoming a renowned orthopedic surgeon, but also the process of refining one’s interests in the first place.

Welcome back listeners! The second episode of our Conversations series features a very special guest, Dr. Christen Russo, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at Columbia University. Dr. Russo is a big proponent of supporting women pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery. She is the President-Elect of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, an organization that supports this exact mission. An incredible role model to many, she shares insight into her unique path in medicine, offers salient advice for medical students, and expands on her mission to empower aspiring women orthopedic surgeons. We hope that this episode is able to share a little bit of why many students consider Dr. Russo to be a valuable mentor.

Welcome back listeners, especially medical students! We are delighted to finally launch our new Conversations series. In our introductory episode, we welcome our first ever guests, Dr. Jad Bou Monsef, an orthopedic spine surgeon at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and One Brooklyn Health, and Dr. Ernest J. Barthélemy, Chief of Neurosurgery at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. These exceptional surgeons and even better mentors discuss their developing collaboration between orthopedics and neurosurgery, their respective training paths and specialties, and conclude with valuable advice for medical students. With this initiative, we hope to disseminate their words of wisdom to benefit those interested in pursuing a residency in these competitive fields.