Guest Faculty
Vinay K. Aggarwal, MD
Associate Fellowship Director, Adult Reconstruction
NYU Langone Health
I think it’s important to realize that medicine is not just a calling and a service to patients, but also a rapidly evolving business that physicians are poorly trained for. It’s time to take a seat at the table and learn about the financial implications of healthcare and how to earn a living while providing quality care. I’m passionate about being involved in an organization that takes the business side of medicine from a topic that’s typically an afterthought or outright omission, as it was in my training, and offers supplemental education to our future surgeon leaders.
Alexander J. Butler, MD
Lenox Hill Hospital Northwell Health
We all take pride in the skills and abilities that allow us to provide excellent patient care each day. Through the education and training necessary to do what’s best for our patients, it can be all too easy to miss out on the unwritten curriculum regarding what’s best for our professional trajectories and personal lives. I got involved with the FPA to continue learning, and to share this knowledge with my peers and the next generation of surgeon leaders. It’s up to each of us to steer our career and impact both our own satisfaction as well as the systems in which we work.
Cynthia Emory, MD, MBA, FAOA, FAAOS
Professor and Department Chair,
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Understanding how to advocate for your patients and practice is essential for healthcare delivery. As we transition from fee-for-service to value-based care, it’s important for surgeons to understand how to thrive in various practice models. We spend our years in training learning how to provide excellent clinical care and become technically competent, and there is little emphasis on the business side of medicine. This Foundation provides the necessary education for young surgeons to make informed decisions about their future practices.
Carl Herndon, MD
Division of Hip and Knee Replacement
Columbia University
In medical school, residency, and beyond we are trained in the art and science of patient care at the bedside, in the OR, and the clinic. To be a successful physician, you need to excel at all of that, but as the landscape shifts and other entities enter into the patient care mix we need to take a seat at the table, and speak/understand their language. I was fortunate enough to attend FPA events and leaning into this aspect of medicine and consider it the best practical education I’ve ever received. I am honored to be a part of that now as we pass that along to the next generation.
Chad A Krueger, MD, FAAOS, FAOA
Associate Professor, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
One of the hard truths that doesn’t seem to be well taught or stressed in medical training is that very little of what makes a physician “successful” in practice has to do with clinical acumen. We’ve all see excellent physicians who seem to struggle because they don’t know how to work within a team, build relationships and strong teams, manage finances, or identify strengths and weaknesses. These soft skills are equally important to a physician’s clinical abilities. I got involved in FPA to help as many early career surgeons understand this fact to help with professional development that augments clinical skill sets.
Elizabeth Lieberman, MD
Money, politics, and religion might be off-limits for the Thanksgiving dinner table, but they’re also rarely discussed in medical school or residency training. However, our ability to deliver patient care relies on successful business practices, engaged surgeon leaders, and diverse representation. The Foundation for Physician Advancement (FPA) has created the perfect forum to discuss these topics and learn how to incorporate them with our clinical and scientific knowledge to build a successful practice.
Camilo Molina, MD, FAANS
Director, Spinal Deformity and Spinal Oncology
Co-Director, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Co-Director, Complex Spine Fellowship
Deputy Director of Spine Innovation, Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology
We have devoted innumerable hours dedicated towards being exceptional clinicians, surgeons, and humans to our patients yet I find that my trainees are often unprepared for navigating the vast socioeconomic complexities of starting and succeeding in different practice settings. The FPA provides a unique expert led curriculum that help us succeed by merging the passion we have for our field while adeptly navigating the contemporary challenges of practicing medicine in our society
R. Michael Meneghini, MD
Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery
Indiana University School of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer, M2 Orthopedic Partners
As a passionate educator, I am thrilled to be part of this organization. The business of Orthopaedics and the nuances of building and maintaining a successful practice has traditionally been a HUGE gap in our educational curriculum for young surgeons. As someone who was a personal casualty of this void early in my career, I am thrilled our organization will close that gap and provide the necessary education and skills for our young professionals to be successful in practice and not make the same mistakes that I did.
Sean McMillan, DO
Director of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Virtua medical group
Associate Clinical Professor, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine
As Orthopedic surgeons, we spend over a decade learning how to diagnose, treat, and care for patients. A huge gap in that training is “what happens when overnight, you’re also a business, especially in today’s environment.” I believe that you are your best advertisement and it’s up to you to create the “brand” you want to be associated with in your community. Creating that brand is more than a website or large social media following. To be successful is to be genuine and sincere to your patients, staff, nurses, and to society. The ability to connect with a patient with your presence can transform a room and rally those around you to want to follow you. I got involve with FPA because I want to share what I’ve learned about building a patient care centered brand and how to use tools like social media to provide informative content for patients and peers that enhances your persona and emphasizes your skill set.
Alexander L. Neuwirth, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Teaching residents, fellows and early practice surgeons is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do. As an associate residency program director at Columbia University, I am fortunate to mentor and sponsor trainees at all levels clinically, and in various other aspects of their careers. The business aspect of medicine is absolutely critical to understand in order to succeed as a surgeon and FPA fosters a superb and unique curriculum to help early practice surgeons navigate an increasingly challenging environment for physicians.
Nana O. Sarpong, MD, MBA
Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Surgery
Columbia University
I was lucky enough to attend the first iteration of FPA’s course as a PGY3 resident in 2018, giving me more relevant and direct exposure to the business aspect of orthopedic medicine, augmenting what I learned in business school and what none of us ever learn in training. This has since served me very well and I hope to be able to impart some of the wisdom I have learned along the way to other trainees and young surgeons.
Stephane Owusu-Sarpong, MD
NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital
There is a huge void in medical education when it comes to the business of building a practice and getting started after residency and fellowship training. This foundation is comprised of several leaders in their respective subspecialties, all from broad practice environments. The ability to learn from them is extremely invaluable. I look forward to paying it forward when I am in their shoes one day.
Evan Sheha, MD
Hospital for Special Surgery
Most of us enter practice with little to no understanding of the business of medicine, in large part due to the absence of practical teaching during our training. Starting out with insight into the importance of practice building, team dynamics and navigating the changing healthcare landscape can go a long way to mitigate some of the stressors associated with early practice and serve as a springboard for developing a successful long-term career. FPA provides a forum for surgeons who recognize that knowledge gap and are looking to bridge it early in their careers. Being part of this mission enables me to simultaneously learn and teach as I build my practice.
Susanne Roberts, MD
Hand, Upper Extremity, and Microsurgery
Columbia University Medical Center
The business and practice management side of medicine are assumed to be intuitive aspects you will pick up when needed, but the reality is that these skills take time to learn over years of experience. This expertise should be taught just as we pass on medical knowledge. FPA aims to bridge this gap in education and give surgeons the skills and knowledge they need to face starting and building a successful practice. I am honored to help future generations of surgeons be leaders and advocates for themselves and their patients in this arena of medicine.
Joshua C. Rozell, MD
Division of Adult Reconstruction
NYU Langone Health
Teaching residents, fellows, and medical students has always been my passion. As an attending, you realize that a lot of the important aspects of a career in medicine are not taught during training. I am always thinking to myself, “what do I wish I knew earlier that could make me a more successful physician?” FPA is the perfect conduit to help me take lessons I’ve learned and share them with others to enable their success. This education is tremendously important for any surgeon’s career and represents a big gap in our current surgical training curriculum. Gaining insight into working smarter, not harder, can transform a young surgeon into a great leader, educator, and advocate for future generations.
Augustus (AJ) Rush III, MD
Our entire academic careers from college through fellowship focuses on patient to care and building medical and surgical skills. Little, if any, time is spent focusing on our future job, and running a successful practice, no matter which practice model we go into. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, understanding the business side of medicine is a necessity for being able to practice in today’s healthcare setting. Helping residents, fellows, and early career surgeons navigate that landscape effectively is why I got involved with FPA. I want to share tips and best practices my mentors gave me, and what I’m actively learning to help others maintain happy, healthy, lives and prevent burnout and career changes.
Jessica Woodcock, MD
I believe in promoting the practice of orthopedics for our patients and specialty, through best practices and lessons learned. This education should include different perspectives and experiences to enable the development of orthopedic surgery to grow sustainably and allow for balanced fulfillment of the practicing orthopedic surgeon.