We caught up with the brilliant and insightful James Carson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

James, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I am a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon working at Next Generation Orthopedic & Spine Institute. I have been in this position for about 10 months now. Before that I had spent about 4.5 years as an employed orthopedic surgeon. The position was very comfortable and paid well, however I still felt stifled as a medical professional. When employed, one has to follow certain rules of employment which aren’t great for entrepreneurial pursuits. I even had a job offer from a longer established practice in the area. However, I felt like I saw more value in myself than they saw in me so I decided to join a friend/colleague of mine at his previously solo practice and work to build something great. There have been growing pains, but the trajectory is great. I’m very happy with my decision to leave a very comfortable position to take a job in which I knew I would make much less in the first year or two.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

James Carson, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with the Next Generation Orthopedic and Spine Institute in both Humble and The Woodlands, Texas. Dr. Carson received his undergraduate from the University of Michigan with a degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Spanish. He began his medical studies at Johns Hopkins University and earned a dual degree in medicine and Public Health. He went on to complete his Orthopedic Surgery Residency at Howard University and was fellowship trained in hip and knee replacements at the University of Chicago. He has significant experience performing joint replacement, but is extensively trained on treating the multitude of complications that can occur secondary to joint replacement. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I would choose this specialty every time. I decided in high school that I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon and all experiences helped to reinforce that desire.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The ability to connect with people is one of the most important things in this field. Patients put their absolute trust in you and it is important that they can trust you and feel comfortable in your presence.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamescarsonmd.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bone_doctor/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoneAndJointDoc/