Life after Retirement: Retired Orthopaedic Surgeons Share Their Accrued Wisdom

Orthopaedic surgeons, like many medical professionals, tend to retire later than workers in other fields. Although there is no set retirement age, most surgeons choose to retire in their 60s or 70s. Many surgeons choose gradual transitions rather than immediate retirement. Factors such as personal health and finances may weigh in, but a significant factor in the choice of when to retire is what to do after leaving practice. Most orthopaedic surgeons enjoy their work and may be defined by their careers, making the decision to retire a difficult one.

Physicians have a range of rewarding and fulfilling options available to them after retirement that allow them to leverage their expertise, pursue other passions, or make a meaningful impact on their communities. These options include teaching and mentoring, volunteering or working in nonprofit healthcare, consulting, writing and conducting research, participating in healthcare administration, and pursuing hobbies and new careers. Retirement offers the opportunity to pivot to roles that many did not have time to pursue during their careers.

To provide some insight into options for retirement, AAOS Now interviewed five recently retired orthopaedic surgeons regarding their process in deciding to transition out of clinical practice: Steven Ratcliffe, MD, FAAOS, of Bellevue, Washington, a general and hip and knee surgeon; Mark Madden, MD, FAAOS, of Reston, Virginia, a general and hip and knee surgeon; John Bradford, MD, FAAOS, of Augusta, Maine, a hip and knee surgeon; Patrick Meere, MD, FAAOS, of New York, a hip and knee surgeon; as well as Justin LaMont, MD, FAAOS, of New York, also a hip and knee surgeon. During a roundtable discussion, the surgeons shared the factors that led to their retirement and what they are currently doing to fill their previously lives.

AAOS Now: How old were you at retirement, and what was the major reason to retire?
Dr. Ratcliffe: I was 68 and felt my age and good health were reasons to retire, so I could spend more time with my wife after all the years of hard work and sacrifice. I did not retire to get away from my job or the electronic health records.

Dr. Madden: I retired at 65 when psoriatic arthritis made it physically impossible to do joint replacement. I loved being an orthopaedic surgeon.

Dr. Bradford: I retired at 71. I wanted an improvement in quality of life, and I perceived age bias by my employer. I no longer felt I could sustain the pace.

Dr. Meere: I retired at 59 to attend to a family health crisis and wanted a change to participate in other activities.

Dr. LaMont: I retired at 70 and retired when my health was good but I felt I could use my longevity to pursue post-retirement activities.

What are you doing with your time now?
Dr. Ratcliffe: I am part-owner of a dive shop and do regulator rebuilding and repairs. I try to find something every week to fill my time. I care for grandchildren, volunteer, and do repair work. I tried working as an OR assistant but found it unsatisfying and ungratifying. 

Dr. Madden: Shortly after retiring, I started work with the Joint Commission. I travel 2 weeks each month and have been all over the country. I find it rewarding, and I keep my interests in the orthopaedic world.

Dr. Bradford: I am an avid reader and history buff. I am writing a treatise on Joshua Chamberlain, a Civil War general who sustained a mortal wound to the pelvis yet lived 50 additional years. I hope to publish my work with the University of Maine. I still see some non-surgical patients and independent medical examinations (IMEs) in a small clinic near my home. 

Dr. Meere: I regrouped with my family and actively collaborate with my children. I have restructured my finances and my estate and properties. Orthopaedically, I am pursuing established and new research endeavors and do occasional expert reviews. I work on building up my farm and am planning active volunteer work as a surgeon and carpenter in the coming year.

Dr. LaMont: I spend a great deal of time traveling; pursuing hobbies in sports, music, and reading; and studying topics away from orthopaedics.

Do you regret your decision? What do you miss about practicing orthopaedics?
Dr. Ratcliffe: I do have regrets. I miss the gratification that came with my practice, and I miss being able to help folks get better. I also miss the team in the OR. 

Dr. Madden: I do miss my practice, especially the camaraderie with patients and colleagues. When I first retired, I truly felt lost, but feel I have found my niche.

Dr. Bradford: I do miss operating and the personal relationships with patients and staff.

Dr. Meere: I don’t regret the decision, as family comes first. However, I do miss my patients.

Dr. LaMont: I have no regrets about retirement. I felt good about my practice and have no unfulfilled professional goals.

Before retiring, did you take any interim measures to change your practice?
Dr. Ratcliffe: I looked at various slow-down measures, and none seemed worthwhile. I didn’t want to work half-time or be gone for long periods of time, as I thought that would be unfair to my partners and patients. I did not want to be a nonoperative orthopaedic surgeon and pass on surgeries that were the source of satisfaction for me.

Dr. Bradford: In the last few years as a practicing orthopaedic surgeon, I was employed by the hospital. This was a short-term arrangement only.

Dr. Meere: I did a planned slow-down for 6 months before retirement, but this slower pace did not allow time to deal with family health needs.

Dr. LaMont: I stopped operating and seeing new patients 3 months before I retired, and felt these steps were in my patients’ best interests. I sent out a letter to all active patients announcing my retirement 3 months in advance as well.

Was it possible to cut back to part-time work in your practice or work part-time after retirement?
Dr. Ratcliffe: I could not see a pathway for part-time work. Overhead was still there and could not be met with less than full-time work.

Dr. Madden: Our practice did not have a good pathway for me to work part-time before retirement.

Dr. Bradford: I see a few former patients and IMEs in my retirement. It was not possible to work part-time in my previous situation.

Dr. Meere: I had a very long commute to work, and while I tried to work part-time, it was not tenable. I’m looking for a part-time position in an underserved area.

Dr. LaMont: I made the decision to either practice fully or not at all. Some colleagues wanted to be out of the house for part-time work, but that strategy did not work for me.

How did it feel the first year after retirement?
Dr. Ratcliffe: All kinds of emotions dominated that first year. I had guilt at the fact that I had knowledge and a skill set to take care of my patients and that I had abandoned those I had known for years. Soon after retiring, my chronic fatigue resolved, and I learned to love a leisurely cup of coffee. I now love that I don’t have to squeeze projects into a few weekend hours.

Dr. Madden: I felt very lost the first few weeks. I felt I was too young to just quit. I was looking for a niche to fill my hours. Fortunately, I was able to start a new career.

Dr. Bradford: During the first year, it felt both strange and relieved. I was used to the routine but quickly found a range of things to keep me busy.

Dr. Meere: The transition was an adjustment at many levels. There were issues with self-awareness and self-validation as a non-practitioner. There was a slow acceptance of civilian life with an ongoing commitment to research and education. However, I finally had time for other educational pursuits such as design, coding, and bioengineering.

Dr. Lamont: Retirement felt enjoyable from the start. I started retirement with a surfing vacation and never looked back.

Thomas Fleeter, MD, MBA, FAAOS, is in private practice in Reston, Virginia, with Town Center Orthopaedics. He is also a former member of the AAOS Now Editorial Board and chair of the AAOS Committee on Professionalism.

Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, FAAOS, is the Walter A.L. Thompson Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU School of Medicine, as well as surgeon-in-chief of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and chairman of the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital in New York.