Goal

The goal of this study is to provide early-career orthopedic sports surgeons, particularly those in their first 5 years of practice, with a framework for how to get involved in sports medicine-specific professional societies.

Importance of Mentorship

Mentorship plays a crucial role in the professional development of orthopedic surgeons, contributing significantly to personal success, promoting collaboration among colleagues, and ultimately optimizing musculoskeletal care for patients. With its origin tracing back to classical literature—as seen in Homer’s “The Odyssey” where Ulysses entrusts Mentor to guide his son through developmental stages—mentorship is an important fundamental component of professional growth across medical disciplines. Mentors play a critical role in the intellectual, personal, and professional development of mentees. Mentorship also enhances the success of orthopedic surgeons by leveraging personal attributes, skills, and work ethic, and cultivating a pathway toward accomplishment and personal fulfillment.

It is optimal to initiate a mentoring relationship early in an orthopedic surgeon’s career. Doing so requires the mentee to identify a compatible mentor who aligns with personal career goals. Pellegrini previously discussed the importance of recognizing the qualities of successful mentors and avoiding counterproductive mentorship traits. ^, To ensure sustained long-term success, an effective mentorship will evolve over time to accommodate the transition from medical school and residency to fellowship selection and initial job considerations. If implemented appropriately, high-quality mentorship correlates with job satisfaction and career advancement. ^{, ,}

Mentorship is beneficial across academic, privademic, and private practice settings. Maintaining a relationship with mentors from various stages of training and practice facilitates access to diverse opportunities that may otherwise be difficult to attain. Such prospects include participation in book chapters, collaborative research, innovative projects, consulting roles, educational courses, and professional societies. Thus, when early-career orthopedic surgeons begin exploring professional society opportunities, starting with societies with which residency or fellowship faculty members have been involved is a straightforward and often fruitful pathway into participation. Mentors can provide invaluable advice about opportunities for society involvement and support the application process for committees, grants, fellowships, and the like.

Get Involved Early

Mun and colleagues emphasize the myriad benefits of professional society membership and, importantly, point out that they markedly outweigh time commitment constraints. Participation in professional societies can enhance all aspects of orthopedic sports practice. Pursuing active involvement in professional societies early in their careers affords young surgeons opportunities for personal and professional development that can enhance their abilities, allow opportunities for networking, teaching, and leadership. It can be a source of professional satisfaction and reputation. As there are numerous societies, including local, regional, and national societies, with both general and subspecialty focuses with broad aims, such as enhancing musculoskeletal patient care, supporting research efforts, teaching and medical education, leadership development, diversity initiatives, patient outreach, and policy and advocacy work, early-career surgeons should explore these opportunities and discuss with mentors, colleagues, and society members to help determine which avenues might be good fits for their personal and professional interests. Through participation in societies, early-career orthopedic surgeons can access various career opportunities, establish a professional reputation, and cultivate a network of colleagues and peers with whom they can collaborate.

Orthopedic professional societies significantly contribute to the growth and development of residents, fellows, and early-career surgeons. Involvement often begins at the local and state levels, through organizations such as the Western Orthopedic Association, which recognizes trainee achievements and provides monetary awards for high-quality research at annual meeting symposiums. Other state organizations, like the California Orthopedic Association, expose surgeons to legislative and regulatory issues impacting orthopedics and offer platforms for research conferences. Local societies also benefit early-career surgeons by promoting networking and mentorship, encouraging collaboration and fellowship among geographic peers. Local and state level engagement in orthopedic societies can also foster community relationships that benefit practice growth.

At the national level, orthopedic societies offer abundant research and educational opportunities. The Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation provides research funding for surgeons at all career stages including resident-specific, new investigator, and career development grants to support musculoskeletal research. The Orthopedic Research Society offers a competitive Clinician Scholar Career Development Program, from which a notable percentage of participants obtain national funding and prestigious traveling fellowships. Specialized sports medicine societies like the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) provide unique educational experiences for fellows, including courses with didactics, case-based discussions, and hands-on cadaveric sessions.

Early involvement in national societies can set the foundation for expertise in sports medicine and pave the way for leadership positions. Both the AOSSM and AANA offer an exclusive traveling fellowship to early-career surgeons that focus on enhancing surgical and leadership skills while emphasizing a commitment to life-long education. ^, Many orthopedic societies also foster future promotion, such as the American Orthopedic Society’s (AOA) Emerging Leaders Program, which preparers early-career surgeons for leadership roles within AOA later in their careers.

Participation in societies provides trainees and early-career investigators with valuable insight into organizational structures, mentorship relationships, and leadership skills that can contribute to future success in their careers. Involvement at the national level requires early participation, willingness to volunteer, and taking on opportunities as they emerge.

Research Participation

Orthopedic surgeons embarking on academic and privademic careers often cite a passion for research. Engaging in meaningful research not only advances musculoskeletal care but also benefits trainees and early-career orthopedic surgeons by establishing recognition and acclaim among peers. Conducting research and presenting at conferences like those held by AOSSM and AANA can create opportunities for collaborative research projects, teaching at educational conferences, and invitations to participate in instructional course lectures. Research productivity also establishes early-career orthopedic surgeons as thought leaders in the field, which can result in leadership roles and committee appointments within professional societies.

Applying for Committee/Volunteer Positions

After obtaining membership in an orthopedic professional society, one of the easiest ways to get involved is to volunteer to participate in a committee. Committees consist of a group of orthopedic surgeons who volunteer their time and expertise in support of the committee’s aims, which ultimately support the broader aims and efforts of the specific professional society. Generally, committee members meet on a regular basis, discuss and work on topics pertinent to their specific committee, and participate in committee projects. For example, members of the AANA Fellowship committee are in charge of creating the resident/fellows’ program for the annual meeting, selecting individuals for the AANA traveling fellowship, and managing grant funding to specific sports medicine fellowship programs. ^, Other examples of professional society committee-based projects include the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines and Appropriate Use Criteria as well as the AOSSM quarterly online Sports Medicine Update. ^, Professional society websites list committees, current committee volunteer members, committee leadership, professional society staff, and the committee charges. Interested applicants should review these descriptions and apply for committees that suit their interests and skill sets. Getting involved in committees early in practice is a good way to network with the existing society leadership, demonstrate commitment to the society, and establish a foundation for membership advancement.

Reviewing for Orthopedic Journals

Participating in the peer review process of orthopedic journals similarly enhances personal research skills and improves the ability to critically analyze studies. Such involvement can lead to invitations to review additional papers, precipitating potential roles on journal editorial boards. The peer review process connects peers with similar career aspirations, promotes professional growth, and provides opportunities to collaborate with leaders in the field.