Monday, April 30, 2012
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Last week, thanks to the invitation of my good friend, Col. Richard Schaefer, MD, I had the profound privilege of visiting our wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. My tour of the facility where our wounded soldiers are treated was overwhelming. I returned from my visit with renewed respect for our servicemen and reverence for our military orthopedic surgeons.
Friday, April 13, 2012
John D. Kelly IV, MD
A few weekends ago, my wife, Marie, and I made a marriage retreat. We joined 12 other couples and learned more about how to grow in intimacy and love for another. Taking an entire weekend off seems like heresy to most orthopedists. However, I will attest that this was one of the finest ways I could have invested my time.
Marie and I listened and learned the importance of forgiving our parents as a means of being more giving to each other. When we nurture old wounds from our formation, we simply ...
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
John D. Kelly IV, MD
I just returned from 5 lovely days in paradise. For the fifth consecutive year, my wife and I travelled to Hawaii for the Orthopedics Today Hawaii course. As is usually the case, I didn’t recognize how much of a vacation I needed until I actually took one.
Monday, January 30, 2012
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Leadership Guru Steven Covey helped develop the term “proactive.” He defined a proactive life as a product of one’s decisions, not conditions. Furthermore, the proactive person lives one’s life on values, not feelings. The proactive person is a positive force and agent of change, regardless of circumstances.
Friday, December 2, 2011
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Philadelphia recently lost its favorite son, “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier. Smoke, as he preferred to be called, was a true modern day warrior and possessed a left hook of mythic proportions. I had the profound privilege to be one of Mr. Frazier’s physicians, and helped ease the aches and pains which resulted from decades of absorbing punishing blows in the ring. As I became more familiar with Mr. Frazier, it was his character, more so than his legendary punching power or storied toughness that indelibly impressed me. The principles that Smoke taught me apply to everyone, especially orthopedists.
Monday, September 26, 2011
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Last week I performed a reconstruction of a chronically dislocated AC joint. I thought the surgery went well, until I glanced at the postop X-ray taken in the recovery room. What I had perceived as a perfect reduction was indeed far from it! The negative internal dialogue in my mind started immediately and my inner critic was saying everything from “you call yourself a shoulder surgeon” to “you are a worthless piece of cow excrement!”
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
John D. Kelly IV, MD
My wife, Marie, and I will be married 24 years this October. It has indeed been a wondrous journey — and not always an easy one. I can’t emphasize enough to our readers the importance of a good marriage to becoming, as Wayne Sotile, PhD, labels, the “resilient” orthopedic surgeon. The quality of our lives is clearly related to the quality of our marriages — period. No case, no financial incentive, no acclaim or award will ever approach the happiness that a strong marriage can bring. As I have discussed previously, great marriages don’t just happen – they are the result of commitment and conscious effort. The work of marriage is indeed worth it as committed couples enjoy the fruits of personal growth, maturity and a legacy to their children.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
John D. Kelly IV, MD
One of the best ways to manage the stress of a busy OR schedule is to prepare. Alan Hobson, cancer survivor and Mt. Everest sumitteer has stated: “Success is 97% preparation and 3% execution.”
Monday, April 25, 2011
John D. Kelly IV, MD
“Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for it to kill your enemy.” — Nelson Mandela
Thursday, February 24, 2011
John D. Kelly IV, MD
I returned from the Orthopedics Today meeting this year filled with new knowledge and friendships. More importantly, the time I spent with my wife, Marie, was precious. There is no substitute for time away with one’s spouse. One simply cannot fully love what one doesn’t know.