After years alongside a shoulder surgeon, how much medical knowledge sticks?

Nicole Davis joins her husband, Dr. Caleb Davis, for the debut of “A Surgeon’s Wife: Pop Quiz.” Her challenge: pronounce orthopedic terms, identify surgical instruments, and make sense of X-rays—with no advance preparation.

From rotator cuffs and labral tears to surgical tools called “Batman and Robin,” Caleb explains the answers while Nicole supplies unexpected guesses, sharp observations, and plenty of laughs.

Play along and find out whether you know more shoulder anatomy than a surgeon’s wife.

Have a shoulder or elbow term for the next quiz? Send it to info@calebdavismd.com or find us on Instagram at @ShoulderBlueprint.

For educational and informational purposes only; not personal medical advice.

Cortney Hartman returns to The Shoulder Blueprint to share how she built a career spanning surgical technology, education, simulation training, and the medical device industry.

In Part 2, she joins Dr. Caleb Davis to discuss recognizing the value of your skills, pursuing further education, and creating opportunities beyond the operating room. Cortney explains the mission behind “Beyond the Mayo” and how she helps surgical technologists map their next career move.

They also take an honest look at OR culture: mentoring new staff, breaking the “eat our young” cycle, responding to surgeons who yell, and building the trust a surgical team needs.

Connect with Cortney:surgicaltecheducator.com
Follow Dr. Caleb Davis: @CalebDavisMD
Follow the podcast: @ShoulderBlueprint
Questions: info@calebdavismd.com

For educational and informational purposes only; not medical advice. Views expressed are our own and do not represent our employers or affiliated organizations.

What really happens inside an operating room and what does a scrub tech actually do?

Dr. Caleb Davis sits down with former surgical technologist and surgical first assistant Courtney Hartman for a behind-the-scenes look at life in surgery.

Courtney spent more than a decade working in cardiothoracic surgery, assisting with heart surgery, vascular procedures, trauma cases, and organ transplants. She explains how scrub techs are trained, why the best surgical technologists can anticipate a surgeon's next move, and why having the confidence to speak up can be critical for patient safety.

She also shares unforgettable stories from the OR from a pair of glasses falling into an open abdomen to holding a donor heart while a surgeon sewed it into a transplant recipient.

Caleb and Courtney discuss the demanding reality of surgical call, fatigue in healthcare, traumatic cases that stay with operating room staff, changes in surgical culture, teamwork in the OR, and what separates a great surgical team from an average one.

They also explain what aspiring surgical technologists should know before choosing the career—and why spending a day shadowing inside an operating room might be the most important first step.

Topics include surgical technologists, scrub techs, operating room careers, heart surgery, transplant surgery, trauma surgery, surgical teamwork, patient safety, medical careers, and life behind the scenes in surgery.