Joshua J. Jacobs, M.D. FAAOS, the William A. Hark, MD/Susanne G. Swift Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago, has been honored with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2024 William W. Tipton., Jr., MD, Leadership Award.
This award recognizes AAOS members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities that have benefitted the orthopedic community, patients and/or the American public. The award honors and celebrates the life, accomplishments and qualities of the late William W. Tipton Jr., MD, an orthopedic surgeon, educator, and former AAOS chief executive officer.
“It is a profound honor to be recognized by my peers for the contributions I have made to the profession over the last three decades,” stated Dr. Jacobs to OTW. The chairman at RUSH for 16 years, Dr. Jacobs added, “I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to be an orthopaedic surgeon, using all the knowledge and skills I acquired during my formal education and graduate medical education training to improve the quality of life for patients who have entrusted me with their care. I feel strongly that it is incumbent on me to give back to the profession that has given me so much.”
Dr. Jacobs’s other roles at RUSH includes Vice Provost for Research of RUSH University and the Vice President for Research at RUSH University Medical Center. He has also served as the Vice Dean for Research of RUSH Medical College since 2015.
With over 290 peer-reviewed articles published, Dr. Jacobs is now heading up two large, multicenter National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and has received numerous awards for his research. As program director for RUSH’s orthopedic surgery residency program for 15 years, Dr. Jacobs has mentored numerous trainees and research faculty.
Dr. Jacobs is a past president of AAOS (2013–2014) and past vice president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (2019–2020). He was also president of the Orthopaedic Research Society (2006-2007), president of The Hip Society (2019-2020 and is the incoming president of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation.
Asked what lasting leadership lesson from Dr. Tipton he has retained, Dr. Jacobs commented to OTW, “I learned many leadership skills from Dr. Tipton. The leadership lesson that has impacted me the most is to practice ‘active listening’. Dr. Tipton believed that good leaders listen more than they talk. He taught me that communication efficacy—ensuring that each party is fully understood—is a key component of being a successful leader.”
As for words of advice on leadership to younger orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Jacobs told OTW, “Individuals are not born leaders. They become leaders by virtue of being good followers. Choose the mentors that you follow carefully, ensuring that they reflect your core values and aspirations. Nurture the mentor/mentee relationship so that it is a two-way street. As a mentor of young orthopaedic surgeons myself, I have learned a great deal from those that I have had the privilege to mentor.”
