AAOS Career Podcast

This episode of the AAOS Career Podcast tackles one of the most pressing concerns for orthopaedic surgery trainees: managing money on a resident's salary while carrying significant student debt. Host Ellen Lutnick, MD, is joined by Maxwell P. Courtney, MD, FAAOS, an adult reconstruction surgeon at Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital, for a candid, practical conversation about budgeting, saving, debt, and building long-term financial stability.

Dr. Courtney speaks openly about his own financial starting point — a first-generation college student who, together with his physician wife, left training with a combined $500,000 in student loan principal that grew to $800,000 with interest by the end of residency. That personal experience grounds his advice: Avoid consumer (credit card) debt and start saving or investing if it’s financially feasible, but do not feel obligated to save or invest every spare dollar. He encourages residents to enjoy themselves as a reward for the hard work and grueling hours and shares how he managed to have fun, including traveling at every opportunity, without breaking the bank.

The conversation covers the practical mechanics of getting ahead financially, including why Dr. Courtney favors low-cost index fund investing over active stock-picking or a paid financial advisor, the benefits of starting a Roth IRA during training, and how loan repayment programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness work (and how recent policy changes have affected them). He also discusses the pros and cons of having a financial advisor and when it makes sense to hire an accountant.

A significant portion of the episode focuses on insurance and risk management. Dr. Courtney shares his own experience being diagnosed with and treated for a low-grade brain tumor, and how having "own occupation" disability insurance and term life insurance in place beforehand gave him and his family critical protection and peace of mind. He also walks through the tradeoffs between academic, private practice, and hospital-employed positions, what to look for in a first contract (restrictive covenants, CME budgets, retirement contributions), and why avoiding lifestyle creep after residency matters as much as any single investment decision.

Key topics covered:

Dr. Courtney's own path through medical school and residency debt, and how his financial picture has changed since becoming an attending

How to set a realistic budget as a resident and why avoiding credit card debt is the top priority

The case for still enjoying residency — travel, meals out, time with co-residents — without derailing your finances

When and how much to save during training, and why compound interest favors starting early even in small amounts

Roth IRA contributions as a resident and how income limits change that picture as an attending

Navigating student loan repayment options, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness and recent program changes

Why Dr. Courtney invests in low-cost index funds rather than actively picking stocks or using a financial advisor

Why it makes sense to hire an accountant once you are an attending, if you plan to have additional revenue streams (consulting, legal work, etc.)

Balancing those “side hustle” opportunities against additional call shifts and family time

The importance of disability insurance, including "own occupation" coverage, illustrated by Dr. Courtney's personal health story

Term life insurance considerations for residents and early-career attendings with families

Differences in compensation and lifestyle across academic, private practice, hospital-employed, and hybrid job models

What to evaluate in a first job contract, including restrictive covenants, CME budgets, and retirement/profit-sharing plans

Avoiding lifestyle creep after residency and reframing student debt relative to attending-level income

Guest: Maxwell P. Courtney, MD, FAAOS, Adult Reconstruction Surgeon, Rothmann Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital; Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Assistant Residency Program Director; National Service Chief of Joint Replacement

Host: Ellen Lutnick, MD, AAOS Resident Assembly Executive Committee Chair

In this episode of the AAOS Career Podcast, Alexandra E. Page, MD, FAAOS, joins host Ellen Lutnick, MD, for a conversation about Board certification – emphasizing the American Board of Orthoapedic Surgeons (ABOS) Part II oral examination.

Dr. Page spent many years as a Part II Board examiner. In this conversation, she pulls back the curtain on what that process really looks like and offers practical guidance to help Board-Eligible surgeons (those who have passed Part I) prepare for the rigors of Part II.

Dr. Page opens up about her path to becoming a Board examiner, noting that she came from a non-academic, community-based practice rather than the academic setting many assume is required. She walks through the multi-year arc of Part II certification, starting with the 17-month continuity of practice requirement and case tracking, through the submission of 12 cases, peer review, professionalism letters, and patient-reported outcomes.

A recurring theme throughout the episode is reassurance. Dr. Page repeatedly emphasizes that examiners are not looking for perfection. The oral exam evaluates clinical reasoning and judgment, not memorization or polished oral delivery. Complications happen; what matters is how a surgeon recognizes, responds to, and learns from them. Candidates are encouraged to acknowledge uncertainty, own their mistakes in real time, and explain the "why" behind their decisions rather than simply reciting facts.

The conversation closes with concrete study strategies (including leveraging the myriad resources on the ABOS website) and a broader message: The ABOS should be viewed as a career-long ally rather than an adversary.

Key topics covered:

How non-academic surgeons can become ABOS Board examiners and the value of serving as an examiner

The three-part structure of certification: Part I, Part II, and ongoing maintenance of certification

The nearly two-year timeline leading up to Part II, including the 17-month continuous practice requirement and six-month case list

The role of the 12 submitted cases, peer review, department and hospital letters, and patient-reported outcome measures

How patient safety and complications are actually assessed during the oral exam, and why zero complications can itself be a red flag

What examiners look for beyond medical knowledge, including data gathering, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning

How the ABOS scoring rubric works and why candidates should find it on the ABOS website and study it directly

The exam's structure (four panels, eight examiners, statistical normalization) and why each examiner’s assessment remains confidential from the other examiners

Study strategies, including forming a "study buddy" group and running mock oral exams with peers

How to recover from a wrong answer or acknowledge uncertainty during the exam

What a well-organized case presentation includes, such as pertinent negatives and clear clinical rationale

Practical logistics, including deadlines and the alternate October exam date for candidates with scheduling conflicts

Why listeners preparing for Part II should treat the ABOS website as a central resource and start planning at least two years in advance

Host: Ellen Lutnick, MD, Resident Assembly Executive Committee ChairGuest: Alexandra E. Page, MD, FAAOS, orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon and Editor-in-Chief of AAOS Now

This episode of the AAOS Career Podcast, hosted by Ellen Lutnick, MD, offers orthopaedic surgery residents a practical guide to navigating the fellowship application process, featuring perspectives from two experienced fellowship program leaders: Scott P. Steinmann, MD, FAAOS, Chair of the AAOS Board of Specialty Societies Fellowship Committee, and Roman M. Natoli, MD, PhD, FAAOS, Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship Program Director at Indiana University School of Medicine and Chair of the Fellowship & Career Choices Committee for the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA).

Episode highlights:


Addresses common myths about the fellowship application process, including the misconceptions that more applications lead to better outcomes and that research is the most important factor, while clarifying what programs actually prioritize.


Emphasizes that the in-person interview and letters of recommendation carry more weight than many applicants expect, and that "fit" between a candidate and a program is often the deciding factor.


Provides advice on how to ace in-person interviews, including leveraging personal connections with the interviewers, limiting your questions, and for those who get anxious during interviews: practice, practice, practice!


Explains what not to do after an interview (e.g., don’t call interviewers or send thank-you notes!).


Highlights the newly introduced signaling process for fellowship applications, including its purpose and how applicants can use it strategically.


Offers a preparation timeline by training year, from establishing credibility as a PGY1 or PGY2 to going all-in on applications as a PGY4.


Offers encouragement to applicants, noting that the vast majority match within their top three choices.

Host: Ellen Lutnick, MD, Resident Assembly Executive Committee Chair

Guests: Scott P. Steinmann, MD, FAAOS, Chair, BOS Fellowship Committee; Professor Emeritus, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic

Roman M. Natoli, MD, PhD, FAAOS, Associate Professor and Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship Program Director, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine; Clinical Associate Director, Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health; Chair, OTA Fellowship & Career Choices Committee

This episode explores the art and responsibility of mentoring medical students in orthopaedic surgery, featuring guest Amiethab Aiyer, MD, FAAOS. 

Dr. Aiyer, Division Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and founder of the widely followed OrthoMentor Instagram channel, joins host Ellen Lutnick, MD, AAOS Resident Assembly Executive Committee Chair, for a candid conversation about mentorship at every stage of training.

Dr. Aiyer shares his own unexpected path to orthopaedics, pivoting late in medical school after originally planning a career in pediatric oncology, and reflects on how that experience shaped his deep commitment to making himself accessible to students navigating similar crossroads.

He draws a meaningful distinction between mentorship, advising, and coaching, and offers practical guidance on how trainees and attendings alike can be more intentional about building those relationships.

Listeners will also hear his perspective on what makes a good mentee, the growing role of social media and orthopaedic organizations in connecting students with resources, and why availability and accessibility are among the most important qualities a mentor can offer.

Guest: Amiethab Aiyer, MD, FAAOS, Division Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery and Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Deputy Editor, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Host: Ellen Lutnick, MD, AAOS Resident Assembly Executive Committee Chair

This episode examines the potential benefits and pitfalls of early subspecialization in orthopaedic residency training, featuring trauma surgeon and AAOS Now deputy editor Doug Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Deputy Editor of AAOS Now and Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Senior Vice President of Medical Services at St. Luke's University Health Network. Dr. Lundy joins host Ellen Lutnick, MD, chair of the AAAOS Resident Assembly Executive Committee, for her inaugural episode of the AAOS Career Podcast. 

Drawing on more than 27 years in trauma surgery, extensive experience in private practice and academics, and his tenure on the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), Dr. Lundy defines early subspecialization and explores where the line falls between a helpful early interest and a narrowing of focus that limits a resident's growth. He discusses the importance of generalized training for board certification, the value of learning about multiple subspecialties throughout training, and why the PGY-3 year is often the sweet spot for identifying a subspecialty direction.

Dr. Lundy emphasizes that the quality fellowship directors seek most is a teachable spirit — the willingness to learn rather than a demonstration of what a resident already knows. He also addresses the potential inequities early subspecialization can create within a program, the growing trend of dual fellowships, and which skills every resident should seek to take away from their training. Listeners gain candid, practical advice on navigating subspecialty decisions without limiting future opportunities, and Dr. Lundy leaves residents with a memorable guiding principle: Pursue the subspecialty you simply cannot live without.

Guest: Doug Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Senior Vice President of Medical Services, St. Luke's University Health Network; AAOS Now Deputy Editor and AAOS Now Podcast host

Host: Ellen Lutnick, MD, AAOS Resident Assembly Executive Committee Chair