JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Robert Cumming Schenck, Jr., M My friends call me “Bob” or “Bobby”.

Affiliation:

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Years in practice: 29.  I have had 2 jobs in Orthopaedic Surgery.  My first decade of orthopaedic practice was in San Antonio at UTHSCSA (my thanks to Jim Heckman, MD) and my past 20 years have been in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico (my thanks to Moheb Moneim, MD).  I became chair of Orthopaedics at UNM in 2006 and along with a fun sports medicine/trauma practice, continue as a leader servant to this day.

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

 Simply by invitation and being an academic orthopaedic surgeon.  I found it a good way to give back to the profession.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

My advice is to be timely with reviews, candid but professional with opinions, and to focus on your area of expertise.  It is especially useful to review topics of interest as you will find the review a positive learning experience through which you can give back to our wonderful profession of orthopaedic surgery.  As an aside, when I accept a review, I create a folder with that title, export the specific manuscript PDF and create a blank review format with the identifying title of the manuscript.  This folder goes into my “to do” folder on my Mac Book Air and once completed is moved to my finished reviews.  Doing this step of downloading the manuscript PDF and starting my review format at the time of each invitation sets me up for success, not missing the deadline, and putting the project into a proper queue for thoughtful completion.  Lastly, when I fly, or watch sports, I clear out my “to do” folder!

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

Like most of us, I read a lot. I was fortunate as an adolescent on the Western Slope of Colorado to have minimal television exposure and have always read. Gratefully, my wife Trish and I have instilled this habit in our children and I have an unofficial adult Schenck Kid Book Club; most recently we read Howard Stern’s Comes Again, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, and in preparation for Quentin Tarantino’s recent movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we read Vincent Bugliosi’s account of the Manson Family in Helter Skelter.  Outside of that club, I recently began reading James Fennimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales and read Last of the Mohicans.

Reading and writing go hand in hand. I especially enjoy writing and editing my own fiction and non-fiction. As a result of this passion, I was asked to be editor of the University of New Mexico Medical Muse a few years back and I read/re-read all art submissions of poetry, fiction and non-fiction with my co-editor, Laura Hall. I recently published on Amazon/Kindle Juárez, an action novella starring a fictional FBI agent, Shandy Randall, working in the Southwest. The second installment of the Shandy Randall series, Snow Mass, is in preparation.  Self-publishing on Kindle was a blast and allowed me to learn a new avenue for publication. I highly recommend that process and adventure to all.

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Charles E. Johnston, MD

Affiliation:

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX

Years in practice: 38

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

 I was asked to. Editors sent manuscripts and asked me to review.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Don’t accept statements/conclusions that seem far-fetched or a reach – demand better evidence. Discard manuscripts that lack conviction and are repetitive of previous work. No B.S., and demand short concise statements not in passive voice.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

I always read The New Yorker and Texas Monthly.

Books: Lightning Men, Where the Crawdads Sing

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Rupesh Tarwala, MD

Affiliation:

Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, NY

Years in practice: 16 years

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

It’s very important to keep your knowledge current in the orthopedic field and reviewing for journals is one way to do that. I applied to JBJS to become a reviewer.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

New treatment options, new surgical techniques, and future research depend on the current literature being published. Reviewing a manuscript is a big responsibility. Please read the manuscript thoroughly for the accuracy of the data. Check if the data is valid and if it will help to improve the clinical results of the patients and change the current practice methods. Also, make sure these methods are reproducible and other surgeons can easily incorporate them. Providing specific feedback to the authors to improve the manuscript is important as well.

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: John Gerard Birch, MD, FRCS(C) 

Affiliation:

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX

Years in practice: 35

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

I was invited and recommended by my former Chairman of Orthopedics and JBJS Deputy Editor Bob Bucholz 20+ years ago.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Recognize that reviewing other individuals’ work is a privilege, and an opportunity to improve the clarity of the message. For most manuscripts, I will read once, “jotting” notes within the pdf, then come back later to read a second time.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

I like to read the “classics” by Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens. Also, the Louise Penny Inspector Gamache series!

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Charles M. Jobin, MD, FAOA 

Affiliation:

Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY

Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery

Residency Program Director

Associate Shoulder & Elbow Fellowship Director

Years in practice: 7

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

I was invited by mentors to begin reviewing manuscripts and realized it was a rewarding endeavor that stimulated new ideas and furthered my understanding of the forefront of orthopedic knowledge.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Enjoy what you do, take pride in your work, and stay true to your north star.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

The New York Times

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Matthew D. Saltzman, MD

Affiliation:

Northwestern University

Chicago, IL

Years in practice: 10

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

Andy Green invited me to review a manuscript on shoulder arthroplasty. Several years later Bernhard Jost began to request reviews, as well. It was an honor that they trusted me and valued my impressions and opinions.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Accept the invitation and carve out time to do the review.  We are all really busy, but the process is so worthwhile. Think about when you submit a manuscript that you have worked hard on. Don’t you expect someone to do the same?

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace. Fascinating book about a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux wine, supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson, that sold for over $150,000. Was it real or a fake?

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Daniel G. Tobert

Affiliation:

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Years in practice: I finished a spine fellowship at the University of Utah in the summer of 2019

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

After finishing residency, a mentor of mine who is a Deputy Editor at JBJS invited me to review here.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Developing a systematic approach to manuscript review has helped me feel less subjective and more effective as a reviewer. For me, that involves focusing heavily on the Methods section to ascertain how the authors are trying to answer the proposed research question. Yet, I always start by reading the entire manuscript once to get an overview of the research and set it down for at least a few hours before starting a more formal review.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

I am slowly reading Eric Topol’s recent book about the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare titled, Deep Medicine. More often, though, I find myself trying to navigate the transition between training and practice.

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Scott Rodeo, M.D.

Affiliation:

Co-Chief Emeritus, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service

Vice Chair of Orthopaedic Research

Co-Director, Orthopaedic Soft Tissue Research Program

Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon, The Hospital for Special Surgery

Head Team Physician, New York Giants Football

Years in practice: 22

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

I expressed interest to journal editors on the advice of my mentors at The Hospital for Special Surgery.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Take an active interest in reviewing.  Understand that this is a privilege.  It is work, but it is very important work.  Realize that reviewing helps you abreast of certain specialty areas – this helps you to be a thought leader in the field. Take that responsibility seriously. You know the effort that you put into your own manuscripts – recognize that authors have done the same and they deserve a thoughtful and careful review.

Realize that virtually no other profession advances and changes as rapidly as medicine, and the pace of knowledge production continues to increase.  Such continued advances require and demand that we are “stewards” of the constantly expanding knowledge base, and this all starts with publications.  Encourage your trainees (residents, fellows) to become true “students” of orthopaedics – encourage them to develop an on-going curiosity for the field. Develop a passion for a certain sub-specialty – become a content expert in that area, which will make you an excellent and valued reviewer. This approach has numerous benefits: it is one of the best ways to avoid “burn-out”, it keeps one engaged over the years, it makes you a better physician/surgeon, and it allows you to be a contributing member to our field.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

I read the journal Cytotherapy, which is the official journal of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy. I also read Nature. Reading these journals provides a window into other, diverse areas of medicine and basic research, and it also helps me understand the current state of the art related to “biologics”, cell therapy, gene therapy, etc. in other areas of medicine.

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Benjamin J. Miller

Affiliation:

University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Years in practice: 9

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

I began receiving requests to review in fellowship and early clinical practice.  Ultimately there are so many requests that you have to be selective about the quality of journal you agree to review for – JBJS has always been of the highest standard and impact.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Review the article systematically with a degree of skepticism, and focus on the methodology and potential sources of bias or inconsistency.  Once a report is in the published literature, it is accepted as fact, and so it is important to be diligent and comprehensive to address any questions a potential reader may have.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

Just finished Guns, Germs, and Steel – very interesting book, long overdue to read, about how the human world came to be shaped as it is.

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.

JBJS is pleased to highlight our Elite Reviewers. The Elite Reviewers Program recognizes our best reviewers for their outstanding efforts. All JBJS reviewers help us maintain the highest standards for quality orthopaedic publishing.

Name: Professor Andrew Kurmis

Affiliation:

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Elizabeth Vale, South Australia, Australia

Years in practice: Less than 10 years

How did you begin reviewing for other journals and for JBJS in particular?

I received an invitation from an editor, and I was recommended to contact JBJS with regard to potentially reviewing by an esteemed colleague.

What is your top piece of advice for those reviewers who aspire to reach Elite status?

Be sensible with your reviewer workload. A well-done review usually requires good time commitment and effort – this is sometimes hard to achieve if you have too many demands on your plate at the time.

Aside from orthopaedic manuscripts, what have you been reading lately?

I was recently invited to co-author a review article for one of the anaesthetic journals – I have been busily reading anaesthetic manuscripts!

Learn more about the JBJS Elite Reviewers program.