NASS DFNS CLASS OF 2026
Avery Buchholz, MD, MPH
Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute
Orlando, FL
Neurosurgeon
NASS Member Since 2017
What initially inspired you to become involved with NASS, and what has kept you engaged over the years?
Compared to other spine societies NASS is unique in that it involves multiple specialties all focused on spine health and spine treatments. This is similar to the way we treat patients involving providers from across the spectrum. This has been the most engaging aspect of NASS. Meetings are full of perspectives from different treatment specialties and it’s a refreshing way to look at spine care.
What was a pivotal moment in your career that shaped the professional you are today?
My spine fellowship at UVA was the most pivotal moment in my career. I left my residency training feeling very confident in my abilities as a spine surgeon until I saw the complexity of patients they were treating and the types of surgery they were doing. I realized then there were different levels to being a spine surgeon and my mentors from that program were true masters of spine surgery. Best spent year of my entire career.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Don’t be in a rush to get busy. The volume will come. Make sure you take time to build a good team around you and a have a good workflow in place so when the volume comes you can deal with it efficiently. Also make sure to utilize your team appropriately so you don’t shoulder all the stress yourself. This is a team sport and to be successful you have to have good people around you.