Abstract

Orthopedic surgery is a challenging profession, both at the diagnostic and therapeutic level. Successful treatment of patients requires teamwork with different stakeholders, with various personalities and motives. Coping with the stress of the quest for the ultimate surgical result might not be easy for everyone. While some surgeons see their activities as a job or at best as a career, others who face similar difficulties seem to respond to a higher calling. They are the ones striving for continuous improvement and excellence, and are committed to serving their patients with a deep sense of caring. In this article, we introduce a surgeon typology based on these two variables. We also introduce global coaching as a novel approach to help surgeons on this potentially transformational journey. We focus on the qualities that global coaching can help to develop as well as briefly mention some of the models and tools that can be called upon. Evidence from the Harvard Grant longitudinal study confirms that humans continue to develop during their adulthood and suggests that the following hypothesis is likely to be accurate: remarkable surgeons committed to technical excellence and caring deeply for their patients are likely to be most successful both in their careers and in their lives. If necessary, surgeons have a chance, a choice and a responsibility to change course, to reconnect with their profession and to establish more intimate relationships with their patients, colleagues as well as in their personal lives. By growing into becoming remarkable surgeons, they will serve others as well as themselves.