Interview with a Pedipod

Nick Fletcher welcomes Tony Herring, his former fellowship director, onto the podcast. Listen to Dr. Herring's stories about the origins of the famous Monday night conference at Texas Scottish Rite, building a team of superstars in Dallas,  his work with the limb deficiency clinic including an incredible experience on one of his annual ski trips with his amputee patients, and making award winning movies. You won't want to miss this episode with an absolute legend in pediatric orthopedics. 

The truly incomparable Peter Newton, chief of orthopedics and scoliosis at Rady Children's Hospital, joins Nick Fletcher to talk about his remarkable career innovating spine surgery, developing a research program, growing the Harms Study Group, and leading organizations including the SRS and POSNA. He also discusses his own experience with surgeon health and wellness and the process of transitioning into the next phase of his career. 

Nick Fletcher talks with Coleen Sabatini, MD from UCSF about her transition from small town Colorado to the pacific northwest, being a division chief in her first few years of practice, her passion for improving health disparities on a global scale through her work in Uganda and how to achieve some balance between her work in the US in a busy academic practice with her work in Africa. 

Interview with a Pedipod is officially old! Come celebrate our 40th episode with an incredible conversation with Dr. Maryse Bouchard from SickKids in Toronto. Nick Fletcher talks with Dr. Bouchard about challenging problems in foot and ankle surgery, surgeon entrepreneurship and innovation, a pediatric foot/ankle study group (PEDIFORG), the POSNA traveling fellowship, and that ever tricky work/life balance. 

Interview with a Pedipod is turned on it's head as Derek Kelly from Campbell Clinic interviews Nick Fletcher from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta about the genesis of this podcast, early career development, building research infrastructure as a young surgeon, getting involved in POSNA, and his incredible mentors along the way.

Derek Kelly  talks to Nick Fletcher about education, mentorship, the really hard clubfoot and IPOS, including shedding a light on how one becomes faculty and what expectations are for faculty members. 

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Bob Cho, his long time friend, during an in person interview at the Scoliosis Research Society in Barcelona. Hear Bob talk about about his role as chief at the LA Shriner's hospital, leadership, social media, and how to grow amongst the ranks of our organizations. 

Nick Fletcher speaks with pediatric orthopedic legend and spinal surgery icon Dr. Alvin Crawford from Cincinnati Children's Hospital about his upbringing as the first African American graduate from the University of Tennessee, creating the first pediatric orthopedic scoliosis center in the Navy, his pioneering work in neurofibromatosis, and his lifelong passion for caring for children. For those who are interested, please read his biography "The Bone Doctor's Concerto: Music, Surgery, and the Pieces in Between" which can be purchased online. 

Salil Upasani, Nick Fletcher, and Carter Clement interview the 2024inductees into the POSNA hall of fame. Dr. Laura Tosi, Professor Alain Dimeglio, and Dr. Jack Flynn share stories about their careers and involvement with POSNA. 

Nick Fletcher speaks to Don Bae about his career at Boston Children's, what it takes to build a hand surgery program, mentorship, the ethos of IPOS, the financial state of POSNA, and how to be an introvert and a podium superstar at the same time. 

Dr. Corinna Franklin of Yale University joins Nick Fletcher for a discussion on leadership, the Ruth Jackson Society, increasing diversity in pediatric orthopedics, and balancing her role as division chief with parenting and her family. She shares stories of her mentors in orthopedics, the state of the POSNA DEI initiative, and her learning curve as a leader in her department and field. Produced by Nick Fletcher. Music by Christian Bjoerklund. 

Dr. Manoj Ramachandran from Royal London Hospital and Barts Health joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation about his multifaceted career, including multiple entrepreneurial successes, authoring numerous books, building a practice, leading a department, and more. Dr. Ramachandran also offers illuminating insights into how artificial intelligence can advance our field. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Kevin Shea of Stanford joins Nick Fletcher during the IPOS meeting for a broad-ranging conversation about his upbringing including his early knack for working on engines, his path through training including a rigorous fellowship year at San Diego and subsequent travels around the globe, his experience in private practice and recent transition to academics, and his extensive work on healthcare quality and value including the POSNA Safe Surgeon Program. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Mark Dahl of Gillette joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation about his background and journey to a cutting edge practice in limb deformity correction. Dr. Dahl recounts his travels around the globe to learn from pioneers in this niche subspecialty. Join us to hear how Dr. Dahl's unique path has led him to grow as a surgeon and to advance the field. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Laurel Blakemore, CEO of Pediatric Specialists of Virginia, joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation about her upbringing, her transition into leadership roles at a relatively young age, her pivots to new jobs and new challenges, and her visions for the future of the Scoliosis Research Society and the entire field of pediatric orthopaedic surgery. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Wudbhav (Woody) Sankar from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and U. Penn joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation about his career path, his approach to research, a deep dive into the inner-workings of POSNA, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Jon Davids from the Sacramento Shriners Hospital and U.C. Davis joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation on his upbringing, his career, how he has seen the field of cerebral palsy management change over the last 3 decades, some surgical pearls for CP treatment, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Vince Mosca, Baxter Willis, Peter Armstrong, Freeman Miller, and Stephen Tredwell were inducted into the POSNA Hall of Fame this year. They gathered at the Annual Meeting to reflect on their careers, friendships, and experiences with POSNA. (Unfortunately, inductees Morris Duhaime and Andy Sullivan were not present.) Your hosts are Salil Upasani from Rady, Nick Fletcher from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Carter Clement from Children's Hospital of New Orleans. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Julie and Walter (Quincy) Samora are a married couple of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons who practice at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. In this episode, they join Nick Fletcher to discuss their personal background and their careers together but also their very different approaches to education and other facets of their work. Julie also shares insights on DEI in the field and second victim syndrome. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

In this highly personal conversation, Nick Fletcher of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta speaks with his mentor, partner, and friend, Dr. Robert (Bob) Bruce. They discuss Dr. Bruce's upbringing, career, and many lessons along the way. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Daniel Sucato of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (TSRH) joins Nick Fletcher at the annual International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium (IPOS) for a broad-ranging conversation. They discuss Dr. Sucato's upbringing, the journey to become a dual-specialty (hip & knee) surgeon, his research philosophy, managing the inevitable work-life "imbalance," and plenty of TSRH lore. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Suken Shah of Nemours Children's Health joins Nick Fletcher at the SRS Annual Meeting for a broad-ranging conversation. They discuss their approaches to wellness, including sleep habits, exercise, and meditation. They also touch on how to bounce back from complications, keeping your practice up-to-date, book recommendations, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Deborah Eastwood from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation on her journey to orthopaedics, differences between the US and UK training pathways, her philosophies on patient care and education, career advice for trainees, coordinating research across Europe, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Vish Talkwalkar from the Lexington Shriners Hospital and University of Kentucky joins Nick Fletcher for a broad-ranging conversation on his childhood, his path to pediatric orthopedics, his experience in the Shriner's system, his approach to family life, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Drs. Charles Johnston and Scott Mubarak from TSRH and Rady, respectively, join a conversation led by Nick Fletcher at the 2022 POSNA Annual Meeting honoring their induction into the POSNA Hall of Fame (HOF). Salil Upasani and Coleen Sabatini, members of the POSNA HOF Committee, also join the discussion. The conversation spans the inductees' careers, inventions, research, POSNA contributions, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Ira Zaltz from Beaumont Royal Oak Hospital and Henry Ford Health System, joins Nick Fletcher to discuss his upbringing, path to pediatric orthopaedics, development as a hip surgeon, views on the future of hip preservation, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Martha Murray, Chief of Orthopedics at Boston Children's, joins Nick Fletcher to discuss her unique career path, her journey through NIH-funded research and FDA approval, her new role as department Chief, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Vince Mosca of Seattle Children's joins Nick Fletcher on the podcast. They discuss Dr. Mosca's career, some controversies in foot surgery, his philosophy on mentorship, lots of pediatric orthopedic history, his special friendship with the late Dr. Lynn Staheli, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Jeffrey Sawyer of Campbell Clinic joins Nick Fletcher on the podcast. They discuss Dr. Sawyer's training and career, his views on mentorship, his approach to work-life balance and wellbeing (especially exercise!), and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Drs. Michael Glotzbecker of Rainbow Babies, Ben Shore of Boston Children's, and Chris Hydorn of Prisma and MUSC join Nick Fletcher of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for a reunion after 10 years in practice. This group co-authored a paper in the past describing the experiences and lessons of their first year in practice. Today they reflect on their first decade. The co-authors discuss how their practices have changed, steering their academic careers, learning to cope with complications, pearls for new pedipods, and more!   The original article that inspired this episode: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24590338/  

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Michelle Caird, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan. They discuss her upbringing, tips for research success, her experience as department chair, practical ways to expand diversity in orthopaedic surgery, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Stuart Weinstein of Iowa to discuss Dr. Weinstein's storied career, his thoughts on leadership, his work in politics and lobbying, his approach to research which has generated so many landmark studies, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Dror Paley of the Paley Institute to discuss Dr. Paley's career, his history of innovation, the development of the Paley Institute, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Drs. David Skaggs, Lindsay Andras, and Vernon Tolo of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. The conversation focuses on mentorship and covers finding mentors, giving and receiving feedback, the importance of a research infrastructure, the benefits of physician autonomy, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Unni Narayanan of Sick Kids Hospital and the University of Toronto to discuss Dr. Narayanan's training and career, his experience navigating the transition from an Indian Medical school to residency in the U.S. and a fellowship in Canada, his research including developing the CP Child tool, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Scott Kozin of the Philadelphia Shriner's Hospital to discuss Dr. Kozin's career, his philosophies on leadership and education, pearls and pitfalls for international work, wisely selecting hobbies, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Dennis Wenger of Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego to discuss Dr. Wenger's background, his philosophies on education, his views on the future of health care, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. McIntosh of TSRH and Dr. Ho of Children's Health in Dallas. They discuss their backgrounds, careers, balancing home life with work, being women in orthopedics, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher speaks with Dr. Lenke of Columbia University to discuss Dr. Lenke's career, how he developed the skills for extremely complex spine surgery, how he handles complications, his philosophies on education, what the future of spine surgery may look like, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher interviews Mininder Kocher, Chief of Sports Medicine at Boston Children's and future POSNA president. They discuss changing trends in orthopedics like OCD management, the value of advanced degrees, the importance of peer mentors, strategies for building a research career, and much more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

The Arabella Leet Memorial Young Member Forum from the 2020 POSNA Virtual Annual Meeting is chaired by Megan Johnson from Vanderbilt. Featured speakers include Stephen Albanese of SUNY Upstate, Margaret Siobhan Murphy-Zane of Children's Hospital Colorado, David Skaggs of CHLA, Michelle Caird of Michigan, Amy McIntosh of TSRH, and Jack Flynn of CHOP. Your host is Craig Louer of UNC. Music by A.A. Aalto.

Nick Fletcher interviews his former co-fellow, Noelle Larson of Mayo Clinic. They cover her upbringing, her career and mentors, what she's learned while running orthopaedic RCT's, how industry and EMR's could improve the future of orthopaedic research, juggling a busy academic career with raising children, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher interviews Will Mackenzie, Chairman of Orthopedics at Nemours. Their conversation focuses on the process of building multidisciplinary care for patients with skeletal dysplasias and other complex syndromes. They discuss Dr. Mackenzie's career progression, views on fellow education, working with his son, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher interviews Jack Flynn, Chief of Orthopaedics at CHOP. Focusing on leadership, their conversation covers Dr. Flynn's upbringing, management pearls, balancing work with family and wellness, 2nd victim syndrome, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher interviews Dr. Milbrandt of Mayo Clinic. They cover Dr. Milbrandt's career progression, the peer review process, the future of orthopaedic education, how to succeed in professional societies, and more. Produced by Nick Fletcher and Carter Clement. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Dr. Kishore Mulpuri of British Columbia Children's Hospital is interviewed by Dr. Rubini Pathy, a representative of POSNA's Resident Communications Committee and attending surgeon at the Shriner's Hospital in Springfield, MA. The two surgeons discuss Dr. Mulpuri's philosophies on education, innovation in research, prioritizing family, and the privilege of being a pediatric orthopedist. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher interviews Dr. Schoenecker of Vanderbilt in Part 2 of a 2-part series. They cover how Dr. Schoenecker's balances career and family, why he believes basic science research is more valuable than many people realize, his famous powerpoint presentations, the future or medical education, and even some book recommendations. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher interviews Dr. Schoenecker of Vanderbilt in Part 1 of a 2-part interview series. They cover Dr. Schoenecker's career development as a basic scientist, growing up as a pediatric orthopedic legacy in Perry Schoenecker's household, finding motivation outside the medical field, his philosophy on surgical education, and more. Music by Christian Bjoerklund.

Nick Fletcher hosts a conversation with Mike Vitale from Columbia University at the 2019 POSNA Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Vitale discusses his approach to career development, leading a research team, growing as a clinician, leading a family, and more.