Heidi Steck, MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Trauma, Orthopaedic Sepsis, and Deformity Corrections
Netcare Milpark Hospital
Johannesburg, South Africa
As an International Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
I joined the AAOS for all the educational facilities provided online – access to international orthopaedic journals that, considering the exchange rate, would be prohibitively expensive for me to subscribe to as an individual. I also enjoy the online webinars and virtual courses. Sometimes it is revision, but often I pick up tips and tricks and pearls that enrich my skillset.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
The best advice that I was ever given is that the enemy of good is perfect. Also, you can’t turn $#!t into ice cream! Very, very true for trauma…
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I try to have at least two projects on the go at any one time. When I procrastinate with the one, I get the other done, and vice versa. Fatigue is not my friend; I’d rather get up early to get work done than try to stay up late. With the ever-increasing administrative load on our practices, I sometimes struggle to make time for pre-operative planning and e-learning. In the mornings, no-one can distract me if they are still asleep!
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
In my spare time I enjoy my family’s company, cooking, gardening, and exploring the great outdoor beauty that South Africa has to offer. The remote places with no cellphone signal are my favorite.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
I’m a straightforward, simple person, I don’t have many secrets. I am easily distracted by bones. If it’s my day off and you offer me a nasty femur or pelvis fracture, all social plans go out the window and I am only focused on the bones. Perhaps this is why I like relaxing in places with no signal?!