Insights from ABOS President Charles Nelson, MD

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief of the Joint Replacement Service at Penn Medicine, Charles L. Nelson, MD, was recently elected President of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS).

Previously, Dr. Nelson chaired the ABOS Credentials Committee and served as inaugural chair for the organization’s DEI Task Force, which later became the DEI Committee. In these roles, he led an audit to ensure that the organization’s oral and written examinations were as free from bias as possible. This effort included the implementation of anti-bias training for oral examiners and question writers.

Dr. Nelson appeared on the Penn Medicine Physicians Interviews podcast to talk about his new role, the importance of the ABOS, and the future of orthopaedic surgery education.

Moving the ABOS forward

The ABOS was formed in 1934 to certify orthopaedic surgeons and apply a national standard to the field. Noting the history of the ABOS, Dr. Nelson reflected on the importance of a comprehensive education for all orthopaedic surgeons prior to independent practice, and the challenges ahead for the field and its leadership.

“Having the opportunity to serve the public and the profession working with the ABOS Board of Directors has been as impactful as any of the opportunities that I’ve had in medicine,” he says. “As President, I’m working to continue those initiatives while also supporting the changing IT infrastructure that’s necessary for our organization—in particular, working to leverage AI rather than become victims of the technology.”

Technology and AI are changing orthopaedic surgery

Orthopaedic surgery education has changed since Dr. Nelson was in medical school. Today’s students seem to benefit more from digital and video education formats, he observes, and there is a greater emphasis on robotics in many locations.

“There are challenges in making sure education is balanced,” he says. “There are ways of using evolving technologies to support learners, but I think now, as always, the best learning is through hands-on education.”

Technology, and in particular AI, could also change the ABOS certification process, Dr. Nelson adds. Candidates applying for board certification must upload imaging and records so that the quality of the care they’re providing can be appropriately evaluated. AI can automate the uploading of supporting materials and ease the evaluation process by identifying the key information most relevant to the assessment, making it easier for candidates.

However, AI can have its downsides. “There is a lot of potential for AI, but also certain threats,” Dr. Nelson notes. For example, AI could enable cheating by helping candidates answer continuing education questions in areas they have not engaged in. “We want our orthopaedic surgeons to be involved in lifelong learning, so we have to look at where AI may be utilized nefariously,” he says.

Education and advice for aspiring orthopaedic surgeons

Dr. Nelson emphasizes that mentorship is critical to success. He encourages fellows, residents, and younger faculty to actively seek out mentorship opportunities. This might mean finding multiple people who can offer different types of guidance. “You may not find somebody who can mentor you in every way, but you find people who can mentor you in different ways,” he says.

It's a challenging time in academic medicine, with threats to research funding, decreasing reimbursement, and increasing costs. This can create challenges to the provision of enhanced educational opportunities for trainees while maintaining high-quality care, Dr. Nelson says. However, these concerns are not new to the highly ranked Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program at Penn Medicine, which addresses such challenges by recruiting outstanding faculty and trainees and holding them accountable for quality, while also diversifying funding and philanthropy to support research, education, and excellence.

“I have a strong passion for health equity and optimizing musculoskeletal care for patients through high-quality clinical care, education, research, and advocacy,” Dr. Nelson adds. “My best advice is to find something that you’re passionate about. Love what you do, work hard at what you do, and put the time in to make yourself the best that you can be.”

Clinical consult and patient referral

Charles L. Nelson, MD, President of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief of Joint Replacement at Penn Medicine, sees patients at Penn Orthopaedics locations in Radnor and Philadelphia, PA. For a provider-to-provider consultation with Dr. Nelson, call 877-937-7366, or refer a patient online.