At 65 Years Old, Stuart L. Weinstein, MD, Says He Was Too Busy and Too Happy to Think about Retirement

Planning for retirement is a long-term, ongoing process. Although certain factors regarding this transition may be beyond one’s control, thoughtful planning and continual reevaluation of appropriate timing should begin preferably when one reaches mid-career level.

When I began my career, I certainly never thought about retiring. I assumed that because most people in the United States retire between 65 and 67 years of age, I should plan for that benchmark in my retirement savings plans. I have had the same employer, the University of Iowa, my entire career. I started my career as a general pediatric orthopaedic surgeon doing everything in that specialty. At that time, no one in the state was doing operative treatment of spinal deformities nor much operative treatment of hip disorders, so I had a wonderful opportunity to develop a statewide practice in those areas. Over the past 35 years, my practice has been about 90 to 95 percent pediatric spinal deformity and about 5 to 10 percent hip disorders, mainly developmental hip dysplasia. My workweek has always consisted of 2 days in clinic, 2 days in the OR, and 1 full day for research and administrative activities. I also took level I general trauma call and spine call for the first 37 years of practice.

My professional orthopaedic life has been a bit unusual, a factor which played heavily in my decisions about retirement. In addition to my day job described above, I have had two or three other related jobs for the majority of my life. I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to play a leadership role in many national organizations (AAOS, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, American Orthopaedic Association, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, U.S. Bone and Joint Decade, Doctors for Medical Liability Reform, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and the Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons). Those leadership positions provided opportunities to leave the organizations stronger, more focused, and better positioned for mission fulfilment and to face the challenges of the future. I thoroughly enjoyed all of those opportunities. Those secondary and tertiary jobs were done during early mornings, nights, and weekends, as well as interspersed throughout the workday. When I hit age 65, I was too busy, and more importantly too happy, to even think about retirement.

For me, the COVID-19 pandemic was a major inflection point for self-reflection on retirement. I had a chance to think about why I continue to work full-time. When our hospital closed down for only trauma and COVID-19 cases and I couldn’t work, I realized how much I missed my job.

Today, I feel somewhat retired in that I have only my day job. I no longer take trauma or spine call, and I have no major responsibilities with orthopaedic organizations. My nights and weekends are free for other pursuits, such as reading, scientific writing, and participating in advocacy efforts for patients and the profession (although I am still looking for other orthopaedic organizational challenges).

My decision to continue to work is partially based on self-awareness. I know that I have never had a day when I did not want to go to work and would rather have been on vacation or doing something else. I have never stopped operating and have always been in the OR from start to finish of every case. I am fortunate to have maintained my surgical skills. I still love doing challenging surgical cases, seeing complex new problems in the clinic, teaching residents and medical students at the University of Iowa and other residency programs, and doing research to try to answer the many unanswered questions that reside on my “unanswered research and clinical questions” list. I continue to expand that list at every meeting I attend. I truly look forward to attending orthopaedic meetings, interacting with colleagues, and discussing problem cases or vexing research questions.

One cannot consider retirement decisions without considering family dynamics. I have been married to my wife, a saint, since medical school. She also continues to work full-time.

I also cannot underestimate the importance of maintaining personal wellness in this decision process. I have always operated under the rule that I must take care of myself before I can take care of others. I have always exercised before the workday begins (regardless of where I am). For me, this is daily jogging and weekend road cycling. Once I have taken care of myself, I can devote the rest of the day to taking care of my patients, my research, and my other activities. This has been a constant my entire life.

As I continue to enjoy the structure of my daily life; the wonderful social interactions with my clinical and research colleagues, patients, nurses, and OR staff; and the continuous stimulation I get each and every day, I have postponed plans for retirement. I love what I do and view each day as an opportunity to do something positive. For me, orthopaedic practice is not workÑit is my passion. As long as I feel that I am playing a valuable role in a larger story, answering important research questions, and providing care that improves patients’ lives, I will continue to work.

Stuart L. Weinstein, MD, FAAOS, is the Ignacio V. Ponseti Chair in Orthopedics, professor of orthopaedic surgery, and professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.