Pre-Interview

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Janey: Good Afternoon Dr. McLaughlin! My name is Janey Krehnbrink and I am a current junior
at Pine Lake Preparatory School in Mooresville. I am reaching out to ask you for a potential
interview (via email) about your career in Orthopedics. Here at Pine Lake all juniors are
currently working on a major project called the Pride paper; every student performs research on a
prospective career of interest. I have chosen Orthopedics as my topic; I find the ever-changing
field very fascinating and would absolutely love to get to know more about it first-hand! The
interview would consist of ten questions and should not take much time. However, if you feel
that time does not allow or you simply do not wish to be interviewed, I completely respect your
choice. Thank you so much for your time and work in our community!

Dr. McLaughlin: ​Hi Janey: I would be delighted to assist and contribute to your inquiry about
the field of orthopedic medicine. Feel free to forward any further questions or other
requirements that you see pertinent. I have provided my work email which would be best suited
for further communication.

Interview
Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Janey: Good afternoon Dr. McLaughlin! Thank you so much for getting back to me. I greatly
appreciate your willingness to contribute to my inquiry about the field of orthopedics. The
following are questions that I have created relating to your profession. Please do not feel
obligated to respond in a certain time frame; answer them at your leisure.

1. Please briefly explain your education and work experience thus far into you career. What
was your undergraduate degree? Did you pursue schooling after obtaining the degree?
What is your “job title” and how long have you worked in the field?
2. What inspired you to work in the field of orthopedics? Of your own personal strengths,
what do you feel best suits you for your job?
3. What has been the most significant change in the field of orthopedics since you entered?
4. How significantly has the rapid technological development of the twenty-first century
impacted the field? Have your specific day-to-day tasks changed as a result of
technology?
5. What is (are) the most challenging aspect(s) of your job?
 6. In your experience, have you seen a change in the female to male ratio despite
orthopedics being a male dominated field?
7. Would you consider orthopedics to be a high-stress job? If so, how do you deal with the
stress?
8. What (if any) are your continuing education requirements? Do you feel that these
requirements keep you up to date in terms of knowledge needed for your profession (in
other words, do you find continuing education particularly useful)?
9. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your job in terms of work/family balance (10
being very balanced, 1 being not at all balanced)? Please elaborate.
10. Do you have any advice to give a high school student who is interested in pursuing
orthopedics and would like to further his or her exposure to the field?
Thank you so much for your time and assistance!

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Dr. McLaughlin: ​Not a problem. Here are my responses.

1. I received a Bachelors of Science degree in Sports Medicine from the University of

Charleston in 1991. This provided me with the required experience and education to test
and complete a National Certification as an Athletic Trainer. Also, I completed
certification to receive the title of a National Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
Initially I worked in several capacities; in a small University setting as both a soccer
coach, Head Athletic Trainer and part time in clinical settings. Almost a decade later, I
returned to college to complete my masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies. With
nation credentialing, I have the title of Physician Assistant, certified (PA-C).
Having practiced medicine under the direct supervision of a Medical Doctor for the past
15 years, I have cared for patient health in the surgical arena, rehabilitation settings,
out-patient clinics and most recently in the hospital setting. All in all, I have
accumulated 7 years of formal studies and now hold the title of a Physician Assistant as a
Hospitalist. I also independently practice in an orthopedic urgent care setting to address
patients of all ages with acute injuries and post operative complication.
2. My decision to pursue Orthopedic medicine was quite natural. As a year round
participant in high school sports, and my frequent visits to the Orthopedic clinic because
of injuries, my interests was first hand. My dreams of becoming a professional athlete
were limited to the reality of my athletic skill set. I have always desired to be around the
athletic setting and valued hard work, dedication and focused training. Along with
perseverance, the pursuit of medicine in sports lended to great rewards in helping others
achieve their goals and victories on and off the field of play.
3. Technological advances in the field of orthopedic medicine have been monumental
throughout my years of practice. With the advent of the multimillion dollar athlete, and
the need to readily keep people in the workforce, imaging, surgery and rehabilitation
practices have surged to keep pace with the demands for excellence and efficiency.
4. The universal growth in digital technology has certainly infiltrated this field. Days of
plastic film hard copies of plain X-ray and X-ray viewing boxes are gone. We previously
had large rooms set aside to host the volumes of films accumulated from each patient
visit. Now, images are clearer and allow for immediate and flexible viewing. They are
stored electronically as are all medical records. 3D scans and MRIs also contribute to
these advanced diagnostic options that were once rarely available. Unfortunately, we
here in the U.S. have not been able to offset the cost of such technologies just yet. That’s
a whole other issue. Research and lengthy outcome studies have also been of great
benefit in developing better joint replacement products and surgical techniques. For
example, in just 15 years of observing surgical approaches for a total hip replacement, I
have seen the average size of skin incisions reduced from an average of 7 inches to 4
inches. This significantly reduces the chance of infection and other wound
complications.
5. As I may have stated previously, the most challenging aspect to my job responsibilities
involve the rapid advancement of technical change. Mostly in the realm of medical
record keeping (EMR). And perhaps advancement is not the ideal word. As medical
providers, we are constantly being navigated through new and complex “upgrades” in
coding for reimbursement purposes. A whole team of social workers and case managers
have been incorporated into our daily routine of patient care to correct and manage our
documentation and record keeping practices. It is commonplace for our responsibilities
to be equally divided between actually facetime with a patient and the time it takes to
appropriately document their care. In my opinion, this is the greatest challenge, stress
and frustration in my practice.
6. Honestly, I have not truly recognized a noticeable change in female to male
representation in orthopedics. The physician assistant and nurse practitioner
populations do trend in favor of more female representation however. I’m not sure of the
statistics, but the issue holds little attention among my colleagues.
7. Indeed there are moments and days of intense responsibilities and stress. This is where
the years of training and experience play a strong roll in well established coping skillls
and knowledge application. An orthopedist is among the most highly trained and
adaptive professionals in all the world. The profession is so well organized and lends to
group and peer interaction that the individual with challenges does get recognized.
Then, thoughtful interventional strategies can be readily applied. Having said that, the
character of such professionals can foster a “workaholic” lifestyle. These tend to be
very driven folks. Balancing life can be a challenge. Egos can be an issue for some.
 Personally, I have been able to carve out a very meaningful and balanced life. One must
continually incorporate the perspectives of others to reassess goals and consider
evolving and changing needs.
8. Continuing education is a prominent piece to our ongoing professional status. All
medical practices and licensing requires this. It is well incorporated into our journal
readings, conference attendance, and general updates in medication, surgical techniques,
and patient outcome studies. Most any and all practitioners are independently pursuing
further educational measures. The completion of CME (continuing medical education) is
really just a formality for the general public.
9. As you likely know, I am blessed to have one of the most supportive and kind hearted
spouses. I wish that for anyone. I give my rating for a balanced life a 9/10.
10. For those interested in this field of medical practice, I would say that a wonderful world
of opportunity awaits them. We are in a time when the aging population is living longer,
healthier lives. Joint replacement and injury recovery procedures are a common and
well studied benefit to the average person. Technology and prosthetic possibilities foster
promises of great advances in the near future. Someone with vision, fundamental
dedication to efficient work and innovation, and a core presence of human compassion
will go a long way in orthopedics. The hours and years of service toward education and
practice will be daunting. Henry Thoreau is quoted, "If one advances confidently in the
directions of his [her] dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he [she] has
imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." I have found this
to be quite true.

Post-Interview
Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Janey: Good evening Dr. McLaughlin, thank you so much for your responses! I find it
particularly interesting that you mention how the United States has not been able to offset the
costs of the technologies we are using. This is something I feel is overlooked, especially in
research. The publications that I came across seemed to focus more on the positive aspects of
technology use, without mentioning that costs associated with it.
The insight you have provided me will add to the many aspects of orthopedics that I discuss in
my paper. Thank you again for your time and dedication to the field!