Betina Hinckel, MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Sports Medicine, Shoulder Surgery & Knee Preservation Surgery
Corewell Health
Royal Oak/Taylor MI
Member Since: 2024
How has the AAOS helped you throughout your career?
AAOS has helped put me in the right place, at the right time, with the right people throughout different stages of my career. Those relationships helped me build my clinical and technical knowledge and skills, but even more importantly, they shaped the way I think and approach problems. I started my career in Brazil and later moved my practice to the US, and AAOS was also an important part of becoming connected to the American orthopaedic community and opening doors along the way.
As an Affiliate Orthopaedic Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
The Annual Meeting is my favorite. It is a great combination of learning and reconnecting with friends and colleagues from all over the world. Everyone is a little removed from the usual responsibilities of work and home, so there is actually time to talk, exchange ideas, and enjoy being together. Some of the best learning happens outside the meeting rooms—in conversations over dinner, at social events, or just spending time with people you may only see once or twice a year. I also enjoy JAAOS and especially the surgical videos. I love being able to see how other surgeons approach a technique.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
Someone once told me that sometimes it does not really matter who is right or wrong—the world is not going to change to adapt to you. I have always remembered that. I still spend a fair amount of time trying to change the things I think can be better, but I have also learned that part of being happy is knowing what you can change and when you simply need to adapt.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I like to keep my lists and especially those little notification badges as close to zero as possible. I try to clear things efficiently, prioritizing both by importance and by how much time they will take. If something small can be done right then and there, I usually just do it so it does not stay on my mind, distract me, or pile up. That leaves more mental space and uninterrupted time for the bigger things that actually need more thought.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
Being really present with the people I am with, especially my son. It is easy to always be thinking about the next thing that needs to be done, so I am trying to get better at putting that aside and enjoying the moment.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
Spending time with my family, traveling, and anything related to fashion and beauty. I enjoy finding things that combine quality, design, and comfort, and I love a good deal! I also have fun helping other people find things that work for them.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know.
I almost became a plastic surgeon! When I applied for residency, I was between plastic surgery and orthopaedics and had chosen plastic surgery. One of my close friends was having the same dilemma and kept going back and forth. I happened to be next to him during one of those moments when he looked at me and said, “I’m going to open a window for you.” Something clicked, and I said, “Okay—switch me to orthopaedics.” It was literally that last-minute. And here I am, very happy that window opened.