Annual Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Retreat

Our faculty gathered on the first day of summer at the Chatham Bars Inn for our 8th Annual Departmental Retreat. We focused on two important topics of interest to our faculty: Internal Growth/Professional Development and External Growth/Expanding into the Community.

To bring into sharper focus the valuable work orthopaedic surgeons do on a daily basis, Dr. R. Malcolm Smith recounted the dramatic events of April 15th when two bombs tore through the crowd of spectators near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. In less than 30 minutes, 25 patients were brought to the MGH. Dr. Smith summarized how flawlessly the surgical teams self-organized and how our surgical teams calmly and methodically triaged all incoming patients. Unsaid, common goals were crystal clear and we answered our calling.

We had lively discussions in our brainstorming sessions about all aspects of our professional lives and how to improve on each. I have charged Drs. Kevin Raskin and A. Holly Johnson to develop a priority list, which we hope to implement this fall. Our Service Chiefs have put together a list of opportunities for expanding into the local community. We are prioritizing these opportunities and working with the MGH to make this happen.

In another first, we had our families join the faculty for a clambake at the beach house. The kids, and of course the parents, had a wonderful time!

As one of our faculty recounted to me in an email, “there was an extremely positive buzz” at this retreat. We hope to bottle this essence and make our future retreats a true reassessment and opportunity for growth, both professionally and personally.