Kevin Smidt, MD
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident, PGY5
LSU Health - Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
Incoming Adult Reconstruction Fellow
Baptist Health South Florida
Coral Gables, FL
How has the AAOS helped you during residency?
The AAOS is an outstanding organization that has really paved the way for specialty societies in medicine. To say that the Annual Meeting is impressive is an understatement. Resident attendees can learn about emerging techniques and technologies as well as begin to lay the foundation for future professional relationships. Every resident should have the opportunity to go to the Annual Meeting at least once during their residency. Additionally, the AAOS's resident directed programming, such as ResStudy and ROCK, can be hugely beneficial educational resources.
As a Resident Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
I use the educational resources provided by AAOS almost every day. ResStudy practice questions are a great way to prepare for the OITE and Part I of the board examination. The ResStudy question bank seems to be more similar to the OITE exams than some other resources in my opinion. I also use the Orthopaedic Video Theater to help prepare for cases, listen to the JAAOS Unplugged podcast to and from the hospital, and read the yellow journal.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
It's sort of a cliche, but my Dad always tried to instill in me that failures are just mistakes to be learned from. I often need to revisit this as a competitive person who is my biggest critic. We hold ourselves to an extremely high standard as orthopaedic surgery residents, and I think that sometimes we need to remember that not everything will be perfect on the first try. Practice, persevere, and learn from your mistakes.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I like to treat my email as a to-do list. I rarely have more than 10 emails in my inbox. When I get an email, I usually try to address it within 24 hours and then filter it to the appropriate folder. If something more needs to be done, it stays in my inbox until that's been completed.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
My wife and I love to travel when we can, even if it's just a weekend road trip away from home. I'm a huge sports fan and a diehard Buckeye. I also enjoy anything active - playing tennis, lifting weights, golfing, and skiing to name a few.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
I've been skydiving, bungee jumping, and hang gliding, but I think my daredevil days might be behind me.