Interview with Dr. Brian Butzen
Make sure to check out the full interview at the bottom of the page. It includes more detailed responses, along with additional medical details and advice.
What's the best part of your job?
Talking to people, trying to help them with their problems.
What's the worst part of your job?
PAPERWORK.
What would you change about your career?
How much debt I had to go into to do this...and probably less paperwork if we could.
When did you know you wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon?
I always knew since high school I wanted to do something in medicine. I had a strong sports background, which leads to sports injuries, which leads to orthopedic surgery. Originally, I thought I wanted to be a pathologist, which is someone who sits in an office or lab and looks at labs and tests and such, but then I started seeing people as practice in medical school, and that was a lot more fun. I definitely wanted to see people as part of my job, and then things just went from there.
I also do a lot of wood working, which is a lot like orthopedic surgery as well.
You're going to have to explain that one a little more.
Right, well I repair stuff around my house. I use screws, and plates, I cut stuff, fix stuff, it's all very similar.
Why are you in this career field? Why not woodworking or general surgery?
My sister's a general surgeon, and she deals with a lot of feces, bowel surgery, stuff like that. I don't really want to do that sort of thing.
I don't really want to be in too many situations where the patient's survival rests on me. I can make them better, I like that, I like helping them, but I don't want somebody to die because of me.
What colleges did you attend?
In order, University of Wisconsin, then I got a masters degree at this place called Barry University in Miami Florida, then I went to the University of Toledo, Ohio for medical school. Residency [5 years] was in Syracuse, New York, then fellowship [one year] was at University of Southern California.
How did you pay for med school?
Loans.
Are you still paying them off?
Oh yeah. I'll be paying them off for the next 30 years. I have like $300,000 in loans.
There aren't very many medical school scholarships.
How did you pay for 'regular' college?
A job. And I got one scholarship for running.
What do you wish you'd done? Career or college wise?
I'm really happy with the way things went, now that I'm here now. There were several steps along the way that could have gone in very different directions, and I could have been pretty miserable, so overall, I'm really pleased with the way things went.
However, I did read an article stating that 1 in 4 people would trade there diploma back for their student loans. So if things would've gone differently, I would've been one of those 25%, but I don't really feel that way.
Where do you think there's room for improvement in the medical field?
Paperwork. Paperwork is really the main thing because it's such a hassle right now. The whole medicine thing, though, is really coming along.
It's also frustrating to have all of these regulations. Some of them are just unnecessary, they slow us down, and if we don't follow the regulations, we get paid less.
What advice do you have for students going into this field?
The only thing is to be 100% sure that's what you want to do, before you do it.
What are key traits to being a good doctor?
You've got to care. Regardless, you have to care for these people and everything will just fall into place.
What's the most fascinating case you've ever scene or been a part of?
I don't know...I reattached some fingers. That was pretty cool. They got ripped off because of this tug-of-war accident. I've seen a lot of pretty crazy stuff, and each one is its own challenge.
When you reattached the fingers, did they still work?
Yeah, but they're always stiff. They were detached for a couple hours.
What's the name of your degree?
Doctor of Medicine. MD, Medical Doctor.
What's one unexpected things that you learned that really surprised you?
What I find on the more humanities side of things is a couple things. There are some people that don't care about their own health, and you do everything you can to help them, but they aren't going to get any better. But then there's people who have like no resources, but care about their health, and they're the best patients ever.
Anything you want to add that you think I should know?
If you're going into medicine, just be sure. Be sure, be sure, be sure. It's probably the most difficult decision you'll have to make.
What's the best part of your job?
Talking to people, trying to help them with their problems.
What's the worst part of your job?
PAPERWORK.
What would you change about your career?
How much debt I had to go into to do this...and probably less paperwork if we could.
When did you know you wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon?
I always knew since high school I wanted to do something in medicine. I had a strong sports background, which leads to sports injuries, which leads to orthopedic surgery. Originally, I thought I wanted to be a pathologist, which is someone who sits in an office or lab and looks at labs and tests and such, but then I started seeing people as practice in medical school, and that was a lot more fun. I definitely wanted to see people as part of my job, and then things just went from there.
I also do a lot of wood working, which is a lot like orthopedic surgery as well.
You're going to have to explain that one a little more.
Right, well I repair stuff around my house. I use screws, and plates, I cut stuff, fix stuff, it's all very similar.
Why are you in this career field? Why not woodworking or general surgery?
My sister's a general surgeon, and she deals with a lot of feces, bowel surgery, stuff like that. I don't really want to do that sort of thing.
I don't really want to be in too many situations where the patient's survival rests on me. I can make them better, I like that, I like helping them, but I don't want somebody to die because of me.
What colleges did you attend?
In order, University of Wisconsin, then I got a masters degree at this place called Barry University in Miami Florida, then I went to the University of Toledo, Ohio for medical school. Residency [5 years] was in Syracuse, New York, then fellowship [one year] was at University of Southern California.
How did you pay for med school?
Loans.
Are you still paying them off?
Oh yeah. I'll be paying them off for the next 30 years. I have like $300,000 in loans.
There aren't very many medical school scholarships.
How did you pay for 'regular' college?
A job. And I got one scholarship for running.
What do you wish you'd done? Career or college wise?
I'm really happy with the way things went, now that I'm here now. There were several steps along the way that could have gone in very different directions, and I could have been pretty miserable, so overall, I'm really pleased with the way things went.
However, I did read an article stating that 1 in 4 people would trade there diploma back for their student loans. So if things would've gone differently, I would've been one of those 25%, but I don't really feel that way.
Where do you think there's room for improvement in the medical field?
Paperwork. Paperwork is really the main thing because it's such a hassle right now. The whole medicine thing, though, is really coming along.
It's also frustrating to have all of these regulations. Some of them are just unnecessary, they slow us down, and if we don't follow the regulations, we get paid less.
What advice do you have for students going into this field?
The only thing is to be 100% sure that's what you want to do, before you do it.
What are key traits to being a good doctor?
You've got to care. Regardless, you have to care for these people and everything will just fall into place.
What's the most fascinating case you've ever scene or been a part of?
I don't know...I reattached some fingers. That was pretty cool. They got ripped off because of this tug-of-war accident. I've seen a lot of pretty crazy stuff, and each one is its own challenge.
When you reattached the fingers, did they still work?
Yeah, but they're always stiff. They were detached for a couple hours.
What's the name of your degree?
Doctor of Medicine. MD, Medical Doctor.
What's one unexpected things that you learned that really surprised you?
What I find on the more humanities side of things is a couple things. There are some people that don't care about their own health, and you do everything you can to help them, but they aren't going to get any better. But then there's people who have like no resources, but care about their health, and they're the best patients ever.
Anything you want to add that you think I should know?
If you're going into medicine, just be sure. Be sure, be sure, be sure. It's probably the most difficult decision you'll have to make.