The two most recent JBJS “What’s Important” articles (“Learning Names” by J. Lawrence Marsh in the December 4, 2019 issue and “Not Becoming a Robot” by Ramon B. Gustilo in the January 2, 2020 issue) typify the variety of topics and individuality these personal essays are known for.
Dr. Marsh’s piece is about leadership, with the focal point being golf great Arnold Palmer. “I will never forget that he knew each of our names…and wanted to know our stories,” Dr. Marsh writes, recalling the day he and 4 friends played 9 holes with Arnie during a charity golf tournament. “We had the impression that he would not want to be anyplace else in the world other than playing golf with us,…a foursome of nobodies.” From that day on, Dr. Marsh has practiced leadership that entails much more than strategic thinking and motivational rhetoric: “With a smile, a pleasantry, a handshake, or an offer to help, a leader can leave a positive impression,” he writes.
Dr. Gustilo’s “What’s Important” essay is clinically focused on orthopaedics, but he too emphasizes the human component. Echoing the experiences and message of an earlier “What’s Important” author, Jack W. Crosland, Dr. Gustilo laments the “industrialization of medicine.” Citing one of several examples, he writes that the overuse of advanced imaging such as CT and MRI “leads to the deterioration of the practice of history-taking and physical examination of the patient.”
What’s really important to you? If you would like JBJS to consider your “What’s Important” story for publication, please submit a manuscript via Editorial Manager. When asked to select an artic le type, please choose Orthopaedic Forum and include “What’s Important:” at the beginning in the title field.
Because they are personal in nature, “What’s Important” submissions are not subject to the usual stringent JBJS peer-review process. Instead, they are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, who will correspond with the author if revisions are necessary and make the final decision regarding acceptance.
