Three spine surgeons talk about what current surgeons and practitioners can learn from their experienced predecessors. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: How do spine reimbursement issues impact your practice?
Please send responses to Heather Linder at hlinder@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, June 5, at 5 p.m. CST.
Jeffrey Wang, MD, UCLA Spine Center: The sad thing is that many of our former leaders and pioneers in spine surgery become forgotten once they are less active. Although times have changed, and we have new technologies and ways of delivering education, the principles of patient care, compassion and ethics all remain exactly the same. Our predecessors have created surgical principles, dealt with the introduction of new technologies, modernized education and taught us spine surgery in their time. It is absolutely critical that we do not forget what has been published and established in the past so that we do not make the same mistakes in the current time.
Clearly, spine surgery is changing each year, and we deal with new challenges each day. The principles of how we deal with these new challenges and continue to care for our patients and educate new spine surgeons need to take into account what our predecessors have done in the past.
Jeffrey Goldstein, MD, Director of Spine Service, NYU Langone Medical Center's Hospital for Joint Diseases: We each have mentors. Our predecessors often taught by example. Others taught by lecture. Some taught us how to operate. Others taught us when to operate. Some taught us how to ask questions and others taught how to answer them. Some of the most important lessons related to how to take care of and treat patients.
Kern Singh, MD, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: They can learn that there's no need to reinvent the wheel; HMO's were a threat to our existence; stay strong and persevere and do what we were trained to do — that is treat patients with the utmost respect and compassion.
More Articles on Spine:
10 Steps for Spine Surgeons to Build a Lasting Legacy From Dr. Dennis Crandall
North American Clinical Trials Network Receives $2M Grant from DoD for Spinal Cord Injury Research
NASS Advocacy Documentary Calls for More Spine Specialist Involvement
Please send responses to Heather Linder at hlinder@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, June 5, at 5 p.m. CST.
Jeffrey Wang, MD, UCLA Spine Center: The sad thing is that many of our former leaders and pioneers in spine surgery become forgotten once they are less active. Although times have changed, and we have new technologies and ways of delivering education, the principles of patient care, compassion and ethics all remain exactly the same. Our predecessors have created surgical principles, dealt with the introduction of new technologies, modernized education and taught us spine surgery in their time. It is absolutely critical that we do not forget what has been published and established in the past so that we do not make the same mistakes in the current time.
Clearly, spine surgery is changing each year, and we deal with new challenges each day. The principles of how we deal with these new challenges and continue to care for our patients and educate new spine surgeons need to take into account what our predecessors have done in the past.
Jeffrey Goldstein, MD, Director of Spine Service, NYU Langone Medical Center's Hospital for Joint Diseases: We each have mentors. Our predecessors often taught by example. Others taught by lecture. Some taught us how to operate. Others taught us when to operate. Some taught us how to ask questions and others taught how to answer them. Some of the most important lessons related to how to take care of and treat patients.
Kern Singh, MD, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: They can learn that there's no need to reinvent the wheel; HMO's were a threat to our existence; stay strong and persevere and do what we were trained to do — that is treat patients with the utmost respect and compassion.
More Articles on Spine:
10 Steps for Spine Surgeons to Build a Lasting Legacy From Dr. Dennis Crandall
North American Clinical Trials Network Receives $2M Grant from DoD for Spinal Cord Injury Research
NASS Advocacy Documentary Calls for More Spine Specialist Involvement