Session 115 Dr. Matthew Dobbs is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot deformities. Several weeks ago, I had a pediatric orthopedic surgeon on the show but someone specialized more in spine care and spine surgery.  Today, we get a somewhat different point of view from someone who went through the same training path of becoming an orthopedic surgeon specializing in pediatrics, just a liking to a different part of the body. And if you haven’t yet, please listen to all other podcasts on Meded Media as we continue to help premeds and medical students along their path through medicine. Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points. [01:48] Interest in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Matthew got initially exposed to pediatric orthopedics earlier on in medical school. He went to the University of Iowa and met people who later on were going to be his mentors, some giants in the field of Pediatric Orthopedics. He still didn't know what he was going to do but he was able to work alongside one of them on a research project. This piqued his interest and this really took him into orthopedics after medical school.  Once within orthopedics, he spent more time with those particular mentors. He soon developed a love for the field and respect for what his mentors were able to accomplish on a daily basis. What he loved about his mentors was that they were able to embody everything he wanted to be as a physician. They were caring and inquisitive. They combined a clinical career with never stopping to ask questions and have the curiosity. They always wanted to figure out what they could do better for their patients. Moreover, he likes the interaction with not only with patients but also with the parents.  [Related episode: The Possibilities in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery] [04:38] Interest in Foot Deformities Matthew's greatest mentor was a fellow named Ignacio Ponseti. He was a faculty member at the University of Iowa orthopedics. He was already semi-retired when Matthew came into residency.  Ignacio came out of retirement to go on and train a group of people that could "spread the word" on a nonoperative method for clubfoot treatment. Matthew was very fascinated by this technique that was developed back in the 1960s and published in a journal. But it didn't change anyone's practice. The surgeons wanted to keep operating on clubfeet.  Matthew saw this as a beautiful, artistic process that he wanted to be a part of. And so this was led him into this specialized area. Currently, much of his career is spent on going out and teaching this particular method on clubfoot treatment to others. [06:40] Types of Patients Matthew loves the fact that he gets to treat his patients as babies which he finds to be so much fun.  He treats infancy all the way through young adulthood. He treats patients with clubfeet that are already in adulthood as well. So he gets the whole gamut, further adding that he treats foot from birth to the grave. Aside from clubfoot, they see a lot of other foot deformities. They see flatfoot, which is common in the general pediatric population. Another condition is the cavus feet, which is a more problematic issue that requires surgery. They also deal with other congenital foot deformities such as children born with extra toes or missing toes, and the congenital fusion of bones of the bones. [Related episode: 5 Traits Patients Want Their Doctors to Have] [08:30] Academic vs. Community Setting Matthew chose the academic route over the community setting and it wasn't difficult for him to make this decision. He was able to combine his love of taking care of patients while also having the ability to ask questions and do something about it through research. He enjoyed the combination of patient care and translational research. [Related episode: 6 Tips For Improving Patient Communication] [09:55] Typical Day/Week and Percentage of Patients for Surgery Half of his wee