Musculoskeletal health topics are frequently in the news, whether it is about a baseball player having Tommy John surgery, a celebrity having a hip replacement, tips for preventing seasonal injuries, or new orthopaedic innovations to revolutionize patient care. When developing these stories, the media aim to work with credible orthopaedic experts to make their reporting more informative and engaging.

“There’s a hunger in our media for good content, and the public deserves to be accurately informed about musculoskeletal health,” said Lee E. Rubin, MD, FAAOS, FAAHKS, FAOA. “As orthopaedic experts and representatives of AAOS, it is on us to provide the highest level of factual information to benefit patients and their caregivers.”

Spokespeople such as Dr. Rubin are vital in delivering musculoskeletal information to the public, helping to break down complex subjects. With his experience representing Yale University School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital for numerous print and broadcast stories, including CBS Morning News and Consumer Reports, Dr. Rubin and others like him help audiences better understand musculoskeletal health topics.

To meet the ongoing demand for spokespeople, media-relations teams, such as those at AAOS, hospitals, or academic institutions, foster relationships with journalists to generate timely news stories and field requests from national, regional, and local outlets. The inquiries span topics such as joint replacement, return to sports, inspiring patient stories, and much more, and they require knowledgeable orthopaedic surgeons who are at the ready to provide accurate insights on musculoskeletal health.

“Having a strong Rolodex of spokespeople spanning all specialties is extremely beneficial for our communications team when time is of the essence, and reporters need trustworthy experts,” said AAOS Communications Committee Chair Jason L. Koh, MD, MBA, FAAOS. “If you’ve ever thought about becoming a spokesperson to educate patients and build your brand as a thought leader, AAOS can provide the training and resources for success.”

For members interested in raising their public profile and practicing key-message delivery, AAOS will offer a free, interactive workshop during the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego (ticket required). The session will be led by a media expert who will help participants build confidence, hone their communication skills, and be prepared to convey key messages and stories with impact. Here is what participants can expect to learn:

• Leverage expertise and personal branding: Strengthen your reputation as a local or national thought leader for name recognition or to drive business.
• Deliver compelling talking points: Deliver concise messages that resonate with a lay audience.
• Understand the media: Navigate the nuances of working with print, television, and podcast reporters and how different media channels can impact your messaging, tone, and delivery.
• Master visual, vocal, and verbal delivery: Engage audiences effectively by presenting with clarity and minimizing distractions in your speech and appearance.
• On-camera interview practice: Participate in a one-on-one video interview complete with personalized feedback to enhance media presence.

Dr. Rubin credits the 2019 AAOS media training course for his readiness to engage effectively with the public during media interviews. For example, in an interview with both CBS Morning News and KFF Health News about the failure of Profemur hip replacements, Dr. Rubin knew he had to prepare clear and accessible messages to ensure patients could easily understand the issue at hand.

“I made a point to ensure our talking points would be understood by those outside of medicine,” Dr. Rubin said. “While orthopaedic surgeons are all very accomplished in our field, this doesn’t always translate to our ability to communicate effectively. I highly recommend the AAOS training to help you become a superb communicator and learn how to distill complicated topics into sound bites that the public and your patients can understand.”

Jeremy Russell, DO, FAAOS, chuckled when he recalled his first media experience, which was thrown at him with an hour’s notice. WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin, wanted an expert to discuss preventing ice-related falls in the winter. With little time to prepare, he jumped into action and used the training he received before filming patient-education videos for his practice, Orthopaedic Associates of Wausau.

“The good news is we know our field well because this is what we do daily,” Dr. Russell said. “Being put on the spot with almost no time to prepare was a bit intimidating. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end, though having even a little more preparation, such as skills from the AAOS media training, would have helped me feel more at ease.”

The reporter who worked on the segment with Dr. Russell later won a 2024 Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) Award from AAOS. The award recognized the journalist for her high-quality reporting on musculoskeletal health news.

To learn more about the 2025 Media Training and to reserve a space, visit the 2025 Annual Meeting app or email media@aaos.org. The session is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis to all active, U.S.-based AAOS Fellows, Candidate Members, and Emeritus Fellows.

Jennifer Lefkowitz is a freelance writer for AAOS Now.