Alexis Rounds, MD, BS
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Lubbock, Texas
How has the AAOS helped you during residency?
The Annual Meeting for the AAOS is an excellent place for learning and networking. It has been a huge source of support, even before residency. As a medical student I was able to present at Academy and network. Two of my residency interviews came directly from networking at Academy. I have been able to meet some amazing people with great advice. I even ended up lobbying in Washington, D.C. for the field of orthopaedics.
As a Resident Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
I read JAAOS to stay up to date on the latest literature. I get excited regularly seeing colleagues publishing with JAAOS. The ResStudy question bank is a regular resource for me as well as my co-residents when preparing for OITE and ABOS Part I. In the last few months, I have been using the Resident Orthopaedic Core Knowledge as a more comprehensive study tool.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
At 21 years old, I was actually watching a Dr. Oz episode "When Are You Too Old to Have a Baby?" At the time, I already knew I wanted to be an orthopaedic surgeon - but I also knew I wanted to have a family. The theme of the episode was if you want to have a family and a career, that you should freeze eggs and embryos sooner rather than later. While it may cost $15,000 to harvest in your early 20's it may cost $60,000+ in your mid-30's to obtain the same harvest. One lady had spent over $300,000 trying to get pregnant and another had taken out several cash-out refinance loans on her home. It is not so much as advice as it was learning from other women with consuming careers. Intern year I decided to freeze embryos and it was one of the best decisions of my life. The peace of mind was immeasurable.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
Taking the time to get organized! Whether it is sticky notes, checklists, dot phrases, or outlines for a paper - it takes time upfront but saves so much more time on the backend.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
I just had a baby, so I'm currently just trying to get into my old habits of studying and being productive around the schedule of a new born!
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love going to music festivals with my husband and our friends. It is a great time to reset. I enjoy staying active through snowboarding, golfing, and playing pickleball. I am also a huge Phoenix Suns fan, Arizona Cardinals fan, and Denver Broncos fan.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
As punishment for losing fantasy football one year, I had to do stand-up comedy at a popular club in LA. There were two rules: 1. I couldn't write my own jokes - I had to use the jokes the league wrote for me and 2. I had to stay up there for the entire 5 minutes. When I finally got called up to the stage, the league handed me the papers with their jokes... which were blank. Turns out I am not very funny. I still feel bad for the people that went to the comedy club that night.