AOSpine Mentorship Education – learn from the best

 

There is nothing more inspiring than learning from an accomplished surgical mentor. The objective of the AOSpine mentorship education scheme is to provide younger spinal surgeons with an experienced and well respected Mentor.

 

Following a thorough selection process, the first face to face meeting with the Mentors and Mentees of the AOSpine Mentorship Education Scheme took place in late August 2016 in New York, USA.

 

The three mentees were allowed to choose their own Mentors out of a list of thirteen surgeons that have offered to mentor a young surgeon. They opted for Jeffrey Wang from UCLA (Los Angeles, USA) Roger Härtl for Weill Cornell (New York, USA) and Alexander Vaccaro from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia, USA). Each pair created their own individual program and came away with a tailor made 'Personal Development Plan'.

 

At the Global Spine Congress 2017, mentee Carolin Melcher (Mentor: Roger Härtl) and Ghazwan Hassan (Mentor: Alexander Vaccaro) talked about their journey as an AOSpine mentee, their experiences, and also about what being a member of the AOSpine community means to them.

 

How did your involvement in the mentoring program start and what do you appreciate most about your mentor Roger Härtl?

Carolin Melcher: It all started at the 2015 Global Spine Congress in Buenos Aires. AOSpine gave out a leaflet and I brought it home Roger's been a fantastic mentor. I can ask him for advice on the cases I’m working – I send him x-rays to ask his opinion and if I struggle I send him an email and he tries to help.and looked over it again and again, wondering if I even had a chance. I decided I had to try.

 

I picked Roger because I love getting a different view on things – I am an orthopedic surgeon and he's a neurosurgeon. We talk on the phone every four weeks and he makes time for that even before he starts practice. Roger offered a different approach, as well as having lots of scientific insight and he’s just a wonderful person too.

 

What projects are you currently working on?

Carolin Melcher: We quickly decided that apart from working on cases we would establish a research project for me that built on this AOSpine mentorship. We have found something now and I’m excited to take it forward. I am going to New York in July 2017 and will stay for three months, in the hope of achieving some clinical insight at the same time as continuing research in the areas I want to go into. Jeff Wang said in his speech at Global Spine Congress that education is not just about changing your view of what you do; it’s about changing yourself as well. I see that in me. These mentors are like the godfathers of spinal surgery and I’m a young girl from Germany yet still I can write emails asking something and they help. That’s amazing.

 

How did you first hear about the mentorship program and how has the mentorship progressed since then?

Ghazwan Hassan: When I first reviewed the email, and saw the program I was very interested, so I put a plan together. I’m currently living in Baghdad, and was one of four surgeons from Iraq to apply to the program. I sent my CV and supporting documents, then had a telephone interview. Having been offered my place, I then attended a first meeting with my mentor Alex Vaccaro in New York together with the other selected mentees. We put together our road map for the first two years, and outlined how we can measure the outcome, which is very important.

 

How has Dr. Vaccaro supported you in that time?

Ghazwan Hassan: Alex Vaccaro gave me full access and support. I am now in the process of collecting the data for the research, which is difficult in Iraq because we don’t have a database of information. This means I personally record data from each case and put it in the computer. Alex has been incredibly supportive; he’s a really great guy.When we discussed my mentorship, I saw the research program as a great step.

 

He freed up his time for me concerning the research and has been very active, answering emails within a few hours. I’m now waiting on my new visa coming through so I can work with him face to face for at least three months, as I think I will get a lot from him that way.

 

What has been your experience of AOSpine during your mentorship?

Carolin Melcher: AOSpine is the perfect path to achieve that because it is worldwide and it’s something that I didn’t experience before. It feels like anything is possible.

For example, I still remember walking up to Larry Lenke in Buenos Aires because I had this case I was really struggling with, and I just walked up and said ‘Hi I’m Caroline, can I ask you a question?’ and he sat down and discussed it with me right away. That’s the spirit of AOSpine.

Everyone is so supportive and you get the best, and it’s just an amazing journey.

 

Ghazwan Hassan: I’m very active at AOSpine and think that it's a great organization that provides me with great opportunities to advance my career. I'm a member of the Iraqi Consul, course chair and mentee. I highly recommend that all spine surgeons become a member. You can get a high level of education and build relationships with the best surgeons from around the world.