From Construction to Shoulder Surgery: How Dr. Ben Szerlip Became Austin’s Trusted Shoulder Specialist

Layla [00:00:00]:

Welcome to the very first episode of shoulderwise, the podcast where clarity, strength, and care come together for every shoulder journey. This show is here to help you understand your shoulder, not just through medical facts, but through meaningful stories, real insight, and trusted guidance from one of central Texas top shoulder surgeons. And what better way to launch this journey than to learn about the person behind the practice, the hands behind the surgery, and the heart behind this podcast. So. So today we’re going deep into the story of Dr. Ben Szerlip, the voice behind Shoulder Wise. So let’s dive in. Thank you so much, Ben, for being here.

Layla [00:00:38]:

I’m excited to learn a little bit more about you and how you got to be where you are today. So thank you so much for being here. And let’s dive in. I’m excited to ask you some questions.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:00:48]:

Thank you. Yeah, I’m also excited to start. I appreciate it and happy to be here.

Layla [00:00:53]:

Absolutely. Awesome. So let’s start from the beginning. Take us back. So where were you born and raised?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:00:59]:

So I was born in California, but consider myself kind of raised in Ohio. My mom and family were back in central Ohio in a small town, Mount Vernon. It was a great place to grow up. Absolutely loved it. And I have three brothers, so there are four boys. And my mom pretty much raised us as a single mom, so we got an amazing experience. She’s hardworking and passionate and always made sure that we had every resource that we needed to succeed. And it’s always been a.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:01:31]:

A pretty cool inspiration. And I say we’re all pretty close now and still. Still talk at at least a couple times a week and, and see each other all the time. So my mom and dad were not doctors. My mom was worked in the school psychology department and then my dad also worked construction. So not really a doctor oriented family, but so thankful that they worked hard and kind of inspired my brothers and I to do anything we wanted to do.

Layla [00:02:00]:

Awesome. And being that neither one of your parents were doctors and you don’t particularly come from that background, was there a particular moment in your life that made you feel like medicine was your path?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:02:12]:

Yeah, I think that I always loved science and I enjoyed school. I would say in high school that one of my tennis coaches, which I still love tennis to this day, he was also the anatomy and the physiology teacher.

Layla [00:02:25]:

So.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:02:25]:

So I began to love science and anatomy and physiology. So I think most people when they say, how did I get interested in a subject in high school or college, they kind of found a teacher or a coach or somebody they loved and made it, you Know, fun. And so in high school, I knew I wanted to do science, but I wasn’t sure. And then in college, I in the College of Worcester again in Ohio. I went abroad to Australia. And it was really interesting because in Australia they have a combined program where most of the medical students enter in through high school. So they have a college and medical school combined. So when we were abroad in college, we got to work with the medical students, we got to do, you know, med school level courses, cadaver labs, science, medical stuff.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:03:09]:

And I absolutely loved it. So I. I kind of knew that that was the right thing for me because of so many interesting and kind of lucky experiences with, with college and medical school and getting to meet those med students. And I kind of said, hey, I love it and I think I can do this.

Layla [00:03:27]:

It’s awesome. And I know you said that your dad was in construction, but I believe you may have done that as well prior to getting into the medical field. So when you worked in construction and now before you became a surgeon, how did that kind of work for you? What was that transition like?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:03:45]:

Yeah, so I, again, single mom, four boys. It was really great. I think that we had to work to get through high school and college and help pay some of the bills, which I think, you know, is. Is really kind of a helpful teacher in, in terms of work ethic and value. So we did all things like roofing, we did drywall, we did masonry. We even, you know, helped rebuild apartments and home remodels. So it was orthopedics was, was kind of involved in that, because at the end of the day, and we can kind of pull up a picture. But I used to work on a construction crew and as a mason tender, and we would help build homes, particularly basements and finish stones and firewalls for condos.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:04:30]:

But it was really fun to work hard and see the material thing that you had accomplished and also to see the people afterwards enjoy the home. So I think that I’ve always known that I enjoyed working with my hands and wanted to see other people enjoy the fruits of that labor. So it seemed like a perfect match.

Layla [00:04:53]:

Absolutely. And I know that you’ve said orthopedics is like construction meets medicine. So knowing that that’s something that you thought and hearing what you just said about how you enjoy working with your hands and you can kind of see the fruits of your labor in two different ways, I can see definitely those similarities and you being able to work two totally different industries, but see how those are similar in their own regard.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:05:23]:

It’s really fun. It’s also these small, cool stories that I think define the major paths in your life. But I loved my construction boss. And actually, there’s another picture, but we. He. He’s still working today. Um, and he. This was.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:05:38]:

We were working in College. It’s 25 years ago. And that’s how I know I’m getting old. But he’s still laying block today. And he helped me with a construction project and. And with our little kids, it was so much fun. But I thought I wanted to work construction and help him, you know, take over the business or kind of do a thing. And his son, actually, his sons were also working with us, and they were studying for med school.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:06:04]:

And so I was like, well, maybe I should start studying. There’s another really close friend who worked on the crew for years, and he was studying for law school. So in the construction site, we had all the tests for the lsat, which is for law school, and the mcat, and we were kind of doing them on. In the lumber yard or on the. On the cinder blocks. So we were studying for the test and in the construction site. So it was really. It’s a cool path that it’s unexpected, but I think that’s how a lot of us find our way.

Layla [00:06:32]:

Absolutely. It definitely is. I would agree, unexpected. But I think sometimes those unexpected journeys lead us down the path that no one may have anticipated. And you get to where you’re at and look back and say, wow, you may have never expected it, the trajectory to go this way, but you have such valuable experiences looking back, and you.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:06:56]:

Specialize in it, and it feels. It feels so right, even though you had no idea. Yeah, it’s fun.

Layla [00:07:03]:

It’s definitely one of those things where you. Like I said, you have no idea where it’s going to lead. You can think you’re going in a completely different path, and then you look back and it’s like, wow, how did this happen? And then you have all these valuable. Well, valuable skills and amazing memories. And for you specifically, having that experience working with different people and testing and studying rather in a construction site is like something in the lumberyard is something most people will not be able to relate to. And now you have that dynamic with those people that is so, you know, unique in a way.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:07:37]:

Different paths, for sure.

Layla [00:07:38]:

Yeah, absolutely, for sure. And so why shoulders? Because you could have specialized in knees or hips or spines. What about this specific joint? And shoulders really captured your curiosity and your heart.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:07:55]:

And so I knew in. So when I went to. Decided to Pursue medical school. I was able to shadow a couple doctors and it was absolutely amazing. And the construction part worked and using my hands worked. I also loved playing sports when I was younger and I had some shoulder injuries. I, I swam in college and had some shoulder problems. And when I was in Australia, we got to, we were assigned, and again, this is kind of fate, but we were assigned the anatomy of the shoulder and to give lectures and presentations on that.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:08:32]:

If you’ve ever heard of the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. And I love his writing and I absolutely love his book. He has all these crazy stories about Canadian hockey players having birthdays in January. And if people have read him, they know what I mentioned. And there’s also a story about how Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and some of the other major, you know, influencers that, that, you know, how that shaped the technology world today were born in a specific time period. So because they had, they had access to all these things, it kind of again, helped shape their path. But the shoulder world when I was a, to go back to your original question is when I was an intern, it is mind blowing. Just like when Bill Gates, he had access to computers in high school that not even college professors did.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:09:22]:

I met a guy who has, it was voted one of the top 25 surgeons, shoulder surgeons in the country. And then I met another guy in Cleveland because I did residency at, at University Hospitals of Cleveland and then also had a chance to rotate at the Cleveland Clinic. But I met two of the top 25 shoulder surgeons in the country. And that was in any of my doing. It was just pure luck in the right place at the right time. So I got to see the people on the leading edge of research and technology and innovation. And while some residents get to see a couple shoulder replacements or complex surgeries, I got to see hundreds. So it was such a right place, right time, and definitely appreciate them mentoring me and helping me get to where I am.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:10:14]:

So I absolutely love that part. And the other shoulder part I love is seeing the patients get back to being active. If you specialize in one body part like this, you can see sports medicine injuries. We treated, you know, professional athletes when we were in fellowship in Houston. So you can see young patients, you can see active patients, you can see athletes. You can also see older patients that need, you know, have arthritic problems or need a shoulder replacement, or you can also see traumatic injuries, people who are perfectly fine just trying to get back on their way to being active and being without pain. So it was. It all fit Together really well.

Layla [00:10:54]:

Absolutely. And I think that that’s amazing experience. Like you said, kind of right place, right time. So I think it was definitely sounds like a lot of your stories. It was meant to be for you to be where you are and have this success and really be able to specialize in your field and your craft. And like you said, you were able to work with so many top doctors and some of the best in the country. So being that you have trained with so many of amazing doctors and some of the best in the country, what did that teach you beyond just surgical technique?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:11:30]:

Yeah, it taught me that. That’s a, that’s a great question. It, it really taught me that those people just like those, those, the, the, the stories or the characters out of Malcolm Gladwell, it wasn’t just that they had access to computers. It was that they loved it. It was that they had to learn the next thing is that they had to try the next step or take the, the next thing. So it’s a combination of, you know, being at the right place at the right time, but it’s also about, you know, the 10,000 hour rule. And again, more interesting story is he, he mentions the Beatles and everybody thought that that, you know, band back in the day kind of had some overnight success. But some of their songs about being back in the USSR is, is because they played sets for thousands of hours before they really kind of perfected their craft.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:12:16]:

So understanding those people and where they got to it was a lot of hard work. It was a right place at right time. But it was also that they were so passionate about trying to innovate, about trying to take the next step and help grow beyond what the, what their predecessors had done. So I think that that was really ingrained in me in an early and a very lucky and early time. And then I kind of had this fever and passion and I pursued some of the other people in the country, some of the past presidents of the American Children Elbow Society and did fellowship. So now I feel like it’s. If we got so lucky, right, all of us should then give back. We should also make a difference.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:12:56]:

We should go help others and including patients, and also teach others and their quest for medicine or whatever that may be.

Layla [00:13:06]:

Absolutely. I think that that’s such a. Incredible way to look at it because you’ve obviously mastered your skills and you obviously have had, like you said, these experiences to learn from other people that in a way it’s such a full circle thing where you want to give back. Because now people are looking at you like, you’re one of the best they’ve come across. So being able to kind of be in that position to give back is amazing. And beyond that, you’ve probably treated so many people at this point where there’s people looking up to you and patients who will remember you for fixing their shoulder and giving them their mobility back and giving them this change that they need to be comfortable within their body again. But. And I’m sure you have a lot of stories that may come to mind, but what’s one specific shoulder surgery that you’ve done that you’ll never forget or a specific moment that may have changed you?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:14:07]:

Yeah, I think that we all have these ideals. And so I think another interesting quote is, is everybody has a game plan until they get punched in the mouth, right? And so I think there are some really, when you, you know, when you train and you see all these things, and then when you’re on your own, you see some complex, tough cases. So I do remember there being without any, you know, patient identifiers. There was a. An officer in the line of fire, and there was a really bad injury from a gunshot wound. I will never forget that. There’s a super funny story. I think it was probably my fifth or sixth surgery out of my fellowship and out of my training.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:14:48]:

And it was a. I think he won’t mind, but he was a partner in our practice and he had injured himself. And I remember thinking, if I mess up on this surgery, I may as well pack my bags. I’ll probably be fired and let go because he was the most beloved guy in the entire group and in the whole community. So, um, but he. It was really nice that he had the faith in me to make sure that we got him back to. To doing what he loves and. And taking care of people.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:15:13]:

Another case I remember we were helping to design a shoulder part that I think was really a need in the community. And it took us a couple years with a couple other surgeons throughout the country, and we were. We got to be the first people to put that in plane in after FDA approval, of course, and everything else. But it was really cool and to see that several years of work and with an entire team of engineers and other doctors and companies. So the feeling of purpose or satisfaction was incredible there. So a lot of funny stories, a lot of things that’ll give you gray hair to help understand patients. And not everything goes perfect, but it really is been amazing. I’ve been on practice now for 10 years to see how they’ve done, and then See them back and then see how their kids have grown up to see what’s going on in their lives.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:16:08]:

It’s like having access to a ton of friends that you. You kind of. They’re part of your life, too.

Layla [00:16:15]:

That’s amazing because, I mean, I personally haven’t been through a major surgery, but I’ve had doctors in my life that I still think about that have made such a big impact on my life. But that’s awesome that you’re able to still have those connections and like you said, have access to friends so you can actually see how you’ve changed their lives and how not only you change their lives, but how that effect on them directly impacts their family and their friends and how it’s such a ripple effect. And that must be super rewarding in the scope of things. It’s one surgery for, you know, a surgeon where you probably do, I don’t know, multiple in a day or a week, but each thing, and each surgery, rather, that you’re doing has such a big impact for so many people that. That. That reward must definitely tie into what you’re talking about. And that passion that you have for your craft and your skills, that’s amazing that you still have that.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:17:18]:

Yeah. I think that the patients are responsible for so much more. I mean, we get to work in the or, but they put in the hard work with rehab. They choose to have the right attitude. I think. Another great inspiration and book which mentors have given me along the way is called the Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. And he actually, he’s an author. He lives in Central Texas.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:17:42]:

So close by New York Times bestseller, but kind of saying like, hey, these. These. These challenges or these setbacks or these frustrations from surgery or trying to deal with a recovery or an injury. They’re not just going to be, you know, you’re not going to overcome them. You’re. You’re going to be a better, more resilient, more hardworking person who appreciates, you know, motion or appreciates being able to do, you know, think of something we take for granted, like putting a. A bag in an overhead, you know, bin in an airplane, being able to pick up their grandkid, being able to throw a ball with their son, or, you know, everything else. So I think that it’s truly been inspiring on helping me navigate my life as a.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:18:27]:

As a husband, as a father, as a son, and to try to understand that we are in control of how we react to these things.

Layla [00:18:37]:

And.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:18:37]:

And so it’s really cool to see those Patients and how much they have to work to get on the other side of that too.

Layla [00:18:44]:

Absolutely. And I mean, even as you’re speaking about this, I cannot help but think about my grandfather because he raised me and he was a veteran and went through war and had a really bad shoulder. And I’m just thinking about all the times where I heard him groan and moan and be in pain and agony, where I would have to lift things for him or reach for things. So I can definitely understand how that can really change someone’s life. Even going back to what you were just saying?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:19:14]:

Absolutely. And you said he was in World War II, right?

Layla [00:19:16]:

He was in World War II.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:19:17]:

I mean, think of the generations. And I consider myself one of those complainers, but he was in World War II and all the things that encompass that, which is amazing. And I feel like my generation is something that, like we get kind of frustrated or put out when the WI fi signal’s bad. So it’s, it’s definitely a good lesson to, to learn from being more stoic. And I think that generation definitely had it.

Layla [00:19:41]:

Effy. Yeah, no, absolutely. And I just remember it was always my knees and my shoulder, but his shoulder, like every time he would have to reach for something that when you have that mobility, it’s something you don’t even think about. It’s just, you know, it’s. It’s not a hurdle. But then if you’re experiencing that, it is so, you know, impactful. It changes every single thing that you do in a day. Like, absolutely.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:20:05]:

Things we take for granted.

Layla [00:20:07]:

It’s exactly. You can easily take it for granted. And I think that, like what we’re saying, you take it for granted. Something you don’t think about, which has to be something that is potentially misunderstood by patients and even providers and going off what we’re talking about. But why beyond just something that we’re taking for granted, what really makes shoulder injuries so misunderstood by patients and sometimes even by providers?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:20:36]:

Yeah, I think that again, you mentioned it. We don’t. And again, this is a Ben Franklin quote. We don’t realize the value of water until the wall is run dry. But I think that some people see this as just out of our control. And the author, Arthur Brooks will tell you that’s a difference between learned helplessness versus earned success. And so say, hey, you’re getting old, you have gray hair, you just have bad genetics. You just have to deal with it.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:21:04]:

And in reality, there is a certain component to that. Right? I mean, a 20 year old athlete and your grandpa are Going to have different definitions of how well their shoulder is going to work. But at the same time, there are a lot of things, proactive things that we can do. And I think part we’re going to dive into that in the podcast. But the, the. One of the misconceptions is that it’s the ball and socket joint of the shoulder when it’s 50% of the movement or 50% of the patient’s ability to go overhead is actually through the scapula or the shoulder blade. And there are 16 muscles that attach to the shoulder blade. And over time.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:21:43]:

Right. We tend to be hunched over to computer all day, you know, typing on our cell phones. A lot of people sleep on their sides. Even when people go to the gym thinking like, hey, I’m overcome this by going to the gym. We work on muscles, usually the beach muscles. Right. Depending on your workout goals, that pull the shoulder blades forward over time. Our spine continues as we get older to kind of lean forward and then so that.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:22:08]:

That imbalance. Right. So, so think about like a balance and alignment on your car. It can create an irregular wear pattern. And so we can do things to optimize that balance and alignment and to optimize our shoulder function with technique, muscular alignment, and using different types of therapies. So there, there are a lot of things that we can do and, and more. So those outnumber the things that we can’t or that are out of our control. So knowing the difference, I think is definitely gonna be one of the key focuses on the podcast.

Layla [00:22:43]:

Absolutely. And thinking about how it is misunderstood and this we can talk about in another episode. But just thinking about what you said in a step further about being on our phones all day, being on our computers all day, I think that that’s probably something that’s not even potentially thought about. I mean, I think shoulder and I automatically kind of think athlete or someone elderly like what you said. But there’s probably such a shift in this world now where everyone is glued to a computer or a phone 10 hours a day.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:23:18]:

So.

Layla [00:23:18]:

And how that’s probably changing people’s bodies in the long term. And that must be something where people are. Might be experiencing more issues with their shoulder and their basically anatomy because I feel like as a generation, as people, we’re shifting into kind of being hunched over a lot. So I wonder how that will kind of play a role in your field like in the next few years or even now or.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:23:45]:

I absolutely agree. Yeah. And so you’re. You hit the nail on the head because you know, even 50 years ago or a different generation, nobody fathomed saying, I spend six to eight hours looking at a screen and, and I, I can’t quote you statistic, but I bet today that that’s not uncommon. And so I think that they’re in, in, in functional health. You know, there’s a lot of advocates and leaders, Peter Attia being one of those on metabolic health, right? Blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, how we, how our diet influences. So I do think that there will be monitors and better check range to say, hey, you’ve had six hours of screen time today, we need to do something different. But until then, I think that we are at this occupational hazard risk.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:24:36]:

And it’s not just an athlete who blows out their shoulder or it’s not just our grandpas and grandmas that have these issues. Another good resource, and I always want to throw in resources because patients teach me this all the time. But patient brought me the book Desk Bound by Kelly Starrett. And we can kind of provide different links about resources we talk about, but it’s a billion dollar problem, right? People sitting at their desk. So I think that moving forward, we’ll have some answers in PT on how to fix that. But also I think that the more awareness we raise, the more I think we can understand and then better the problem.

Layla [00:25:16]:

Absolutely. And that’s so interesting. And I definitely want to dive deeper into this in a future podcast, but it is, I think, definitely an awareness because people are, you know, glued to, like we said, our phones and our computers, and we’re not realizing, and we really are, in a sense, the first generation who’s going to be experiencing these problems. There’s no one before us, so we’re really living through history. And it’s awesome that you have this knowledge of what can go wrong and obviously how to fix it, but also have that insight of saying, hey, like, I can see how this could potentially be a problem. And bringing awareness and insight to that to prevent it, I think is something that’s very important. And it’s going to be even more important. As, you know, we as a society continue to grow and experience this because we’re going to be experiencing new issues that we might not know how to deal with.

Layla [00:26:11]:

So having obviously that knowledge and the experience on fixing shoulders, but realizing let’s kind of get proactive about it before these things happen is something I think is super important for everyone to know. You don’t have to be an athlete or, you know, a grandma or grandpa. It’s all of us. We can all definitely be directly impacted by this. Everyone’s on their computer and phone and these kind of things, 24, seven tablets. So I think it’s very good to, like, bring that awareness to everyone.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:26:44]:

Yes, yes. And. And that goes. I think that’ll be one of the core components to the podcast is the preventative part and doctors and medicine today. And again, this is Peter Attia’s, you know, philosophy, and his book is. Is really good. I recommend patients check it out if they like to do a deeper dive on things like cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative changes, things like diabetes. But essentially, in medicine, if you think about it, we don’t look at something until it’s gone wrong.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:27:17]:

You don’t have a. You don’t see a cardiologist until you have a heart attack. Right. We don’t see another primary care doctor, and then they tell us we have diabetes. But those things are kind of like an iceberg. They’ve been there for 10, 20, 30 years kind of forming. But there is a tipping point until it becomes a problem. And in fact, the definition of diabetes is a blood sugar level, you know, above a certain point.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:27:45]:

So just because your blood sugar ticks one level higher, it’s not. It’s been going on for, you know, 10 or more years. And so I think that the. The concept is if we can prevent these things, if we can be proactive, you don’t want to be in the doctor’s office trying to get fixed for a surgery. And I think that we can, with this podcast and other people and other. And the help of so many people out there in the community, that we can kind of be ahead of the curve. We can be preventing these things and understanding them so we don’t have to be so reactive.

Layla [00:28:21]:

Absolutely. And what you said might be a big component to this. But if every patient can learn one thing about shoulder pain or about treatment before they walk into your office, what would it be?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:28:36]:

It’s the. What they can and cannot do. And I think that we love our surgical rates in. In that they’re so low and that most patients, when they walk in the office, they are. They are going to get recommendations to avoid surgery. I think one of the most important things that a surgeon can do is someone like, you’re not going to gain value out of getting a surgery, because I think a lot of us, and myself included, are impatient people, and we want a quick fix and we just want to be done. But most shoulder pain can be averted with conservative treatments like physiotherapy. Like patient education, activity modifications, medications, injections, different biologic treatments, which are now gaining a lot of traction and a lot of new technologies giving promising results.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:29:24]:

So I think that there is. It’s not just when you have shoulder pain, you need to get it fixed. You need a magic pill or a silver bullet type thing.

Layla [00:29:34]:

Absolutely. And now you’re not just a surgeon. You’re not just Dr. Szerlip. You are Ben. You’re a dad. You have so much to offer and so much experience. But being a dad, what do you hope that your kids can learn from watching you build this next chapter?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:29:53]:

Um, my kids, and we could throw up a photo, but they’re. They’re 3, 6, and 9. So they teach me as much as I teach them, I think right now. And it is a blast. I see them learning new things every day, and it’s definitely one of the most rewarding things, as most parents know, that you can ever do in your life. I think that it kind of changes almost on a weekly or monthly basis, but based on the experiences we’re having. But I would tell them to. To think big, to work hard or do their best, and to always keep learning.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:30:29]:

Learn from your mistakes. Just be inquisitive. And that includes, like, being passionate or having fun or truly being interested in something. I think if we can all do those three things, then you have a pretty good shot at making a difference of having a purpose and having that sense of satisfaction.

Layla [00:30:48]:

Absolutely. I think that’s great advice whether you’re a child or not. I felt like that was great advice, even for me. And I’m sure people listening can agree as well.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:30:57]:

But three, at this age, it’s also brushing your teeth and cleaning your room. But yeah, humbling experiences, for sure. Fun, but a lot of fun.

Layla [00:31:06]:

Those are also valuable for adults too.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:31:09]:

Yeah, all of us, 100%.

Layla [00:31:12]:

But you definitely have your hands bitty busy. 3, 6, and 9. Are they all boys?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:31:16]:

Girl, boy, girl. Yep. And so it’s Maddie, Wyatt, and Chloe and my wife Carly, who does an absolutely amazing job making sure she kind of has four kids. Really? That’s the running joke, but it’s also the truth, so appreciate them all.

Layla [00:31:33]:

Yeah, that’s awesome. And I’m sure that they are learning so much from watching you and really build this new chapter. And they’re here to watch it all. I mean, kids are sponges. I’m sure they’re absorbing a lot and feeling inspired as much as a child can be. I’m sure they’ll remember things and look back and really See, you know how they were inspired by you, for sure, because they are 3, 6, and 9. They’re definitely watching and definitely learning a lot from.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:32:03]:

Yeah. And it’s because we get to learn from them. And I learned so many. They’re like, unconscious. They ask these true questions about, you know, something like, I never thought about how we perceive it that way. So I definitely think that this opportunity and one of the reasons, the other reasons why we did this podcast is to help bridge the gap of understanding, help encourage patients and empower them on how they can, you know, take charge of their own shoulder care and how to not end up needing a surgery or just how to be happier. Right. How to be in less pain, how to have better function moving forward, and how to decrease any risk that they’re going to do future damage.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:32:42]:

Right. And so that goes back to saying, hey, I learned from my kids in every step of the way, and I want to learn from this podcast. It’s going to challenge me to think about new things. It’s going to challenge me to approach how I educate patients in a different way. And it may not be right, it may not be good. And that will, I think, make me a better physician, a better dad, and I’m looking forward to it.

Layla [00:33:07]:

Absolutely. And beyond that, is there anything else that comes to mind if you could really think about if shoulder wise could really only do one thing right, what would you want that to be?

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:33:21]:

Yeah, it’s a great question. And I think that we have a couple core tenants or goals on. It’s really bridging the gap. And I will, you know, share and my wife will be okay with it. I think. We had a medical experience and she had a health scare, and it’s so difficult. Challenging fear of the unknown is scary. And so I think we want to bridge the gap on how to provide information to patients so they can easily access it and then digest it to make decisions for their own medical care.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:33:54]:

So I think if we do that, then it’ll be all worth it.

Layla [00:33:59]:

Absolutely. And that’s definitely a key takeaway, too, of going back to talking about being proactive. And health scares are so scary. And I hope your wife is doing well and my thoughts are with you because I know how life can kind of come at you fast and hit you with a curveball when everything can be going right. So definitely going back to being proactive about your health and having knowledge and knowing things before you need to actually potentially apply that knowledge. So definitely bringing awareness and education to people, listening and to people around you is definitely just crucial for everyone in life. You never know what’s coming your way. Things can happen and they can happen quickly.

Layla [00:34:49]:

So the more knowledge you know about your health and about all these different things that can happen is definitely valuable, for sure.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:35:00]:

Absolutely. Yeah. And I think that too, that it’s not. If something happens to us, some of the. Some of the audience made is like, hey, I’m Nothing bad has ever happened to my health. I’m 18 years old or I’m in college. I’m perfectly healthy, and I did feel that way. So when we do experience that, I think it’s important to have a sense of earned success, about what’s happening and how we can help it and how we can improve it.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:35:24]:

And two, just how we can be more resilient by understanding that this may be a season or a chapter in our lives, that it’s not going to be as good, but I think we’ll be better on the other end coming out in terms of gratitude or agency. And those are incredible things to our happiness and well being.

Layla [00:35:41]:

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that that was so well said. And yeah, resilience is a huge part of everything that we do. A hundred percent so. And thank you so much for sharing that as well. And I think that I learned so much on this episode on our first podcast, and I know that it probably brought a lot of awareness to a lot of listeners and to people who may have a whole new insight or a new perspective on shoulders and your craft and your skill that people may have not even put thought to before, or people that are listening to gain more insight because it’s something they’re passionate about. So I think that this podcast can help people in very different ways in their life.

Layla [00:36:26]:

So thank you so much. And that’s a wrap of episode one of shoulderwise. So if anyone is listening and is thinking, you know, wow, this is not just another doctor podcast. This is definitely something different. We’re onto something different here. And if that’s what you’re thinking, you’re right, because the show is built to educate, to encourage, and to empower. So you just got to hear why Dr. Szerlip shows up every day in the or in the clinic and now behind the mic.

Layla [00:36:57]:

So if you’re listening, just know that this is just the beginning. And join us again next time. Episode two. We’re going to have another great topic where Dr. Szerlip is going to dive into for us. So thank you so much and thank you, Ben, for your insight and your knowledge and thank you so much for having this conversation today.

Dr. Ben Szerlip [00:37:16]:

Thank you, Layla. It’s a pleasure to be here. Looking forward to it.