JBJS recently introduced OrthoCorps, an exciting new initiative that aims to preserve the voices and memories of the global orthopaedic community. Inspired by StoryCorps and independently organized by JBJS, OrthoCorps is an online audio archive hosted at JBJS.org. Readers of JBJS and members of the wider community—students, residents, clinicians, surgeons, educators, staff, and patients alike—are encouraged to contribute their own stories in the form of single-speaker narratives or informal conversations between colleagues, family, or friends, reflecting on the important moments and people in their lives. We are hopeful that this new feature will help to foster deeper connection, understanding, and compassion within the community, and will provide its members with a valuable opportunity to share their unique experiences and perspectives with one another.

The Origins of OrthoCorps

In a recent editorial, JBJS Editor-in-Chief Marc Swiontkowski reflects on the inspiration for OrthoCorps and how the initiative came to be. StoryCorps was founded in 2003 with the opening of a booth in Grand Central Terminal in New York City and went on to debut on NPR’s Morning Edition in 2005. Since then, the nonprofit organization has expanded rapidly, with several books, animated shorts, and awards to its name, all in service of its mission to “preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world” 1. StoryCorps’s archive of recordings is housed in the Library of Congress in perpetuity.

“As I enter my 38th year of practice, it has been my experience that we in orthopaedic surgery—and in all related disciplines that care for patients with musculoskeletal problems—also have stories that are worthy of preservation,” writes Dr. Swiontkowski. “Whether the conversation focuses on a patient for whom the outcome of care was extraordinary, a particularly memorable event or interaction during training, a mentor who had a dramatic impact on the life or career of that individual, a young and promising career cut short, or the discovery of a new way to serve the community beyond medicine, the story is always heartfelt, meaningful, and worthy of sharing.”

Read the full Editorial: Introducing JBJS OrthoCorps: An Online Audio Archive of Stories from the Orthopaedic Community

Add Your Story to OrthoCorps

For those interested in contributing stories of their own to OrthoCorps, several resources are available to help you get started. These include Interview Tips and Examples of Interview Questions to aid in planning and guiding your conversation, and Sound Quality Tips to ensure the best audio quality possible. Additionally, several interviews between Dr. Swiontkowski and his colleagues, including Drs. Peter Cole, Terry Gioe, Joseph Zuckerman, and Denis Clohisy, are available at Orthocorps.JBJS.org and may serve as inspiration. More information regarding OrthoCorps requirements as well as instructions can be found in the OrthoCorps Submission Guidelines.

To submit your story, visit the JBJS Audio/Video Submission Site. As stated by Dr. Swiontkowski, sharing these stories “will no doubt build connections between our individual worlds and serve to strengthen the human bond that drove us into the business of caring for patients in the first place.”

Questions? Contact orthocorps@jbjs.org.

Listen to the recent OrthoJOE podcast bonus episode featuring Dr. Swiontkowski’s OrthoCorps conversation with Dr. Zuckerman.

Interested in more JBJS content showcasing the creative lives of the orthopaedic community? Check out our previous OrthoBuzz post highlighting the “What’s Important” Arts & Humanities series and the “What’s Important” article collection at JBJS.org. Explore JBJS podcasts for conversations on trending topics in orthopaedic news.


References

  1. About StoryCorps. Accessed 2023 March 31. https://storycorps.org/about/

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