Andrew Schoenfeld, MD, MSc, is NASS’ Education Council Director, and an Associate Professor and clinician scientist in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and the Director of Spine Surgical Research. He was previously the Director of the Surgical Research Fellowship at the Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the TH Chan Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Schoenfeld recently took time to answer questions as part of the Clinical Director Q&A series.
What is the most important work your council is pursuing right now, and why does it matter to NASS members?
We are pursuing putting together the educational program for the next year, as well as the annual meeting, which is the annual capstone event for the organization and the primary way through which NASS interacts with its members and the overall spine community. We have put together an amazing annual meeting in San Antonio, with something for everyone and highlights for innovation and international collaboration. We are also planning our next international event, Spine Across the Sea, for summer 2027.
What’s changing in the Education Council that members should be paying attention to?
As part of the new strategic outlook, the Education Council has set new priorities including programming centered on the surgeon, ensuring international collaboration creates interesting opportunities for the NASS membership broadly, and sunsetting older educational programs while introducing new and exciting ways to engage with the organization in person, or remotely, such as NASS Anytime.
We just featured a definitive and comprehensive research guide that is available on NASS Anytime and was co-chaired by myself, Christopher Bono (
The Spine Journal Editor in Chief), and Jonathan Grauer (
NASSJ Editor in Chief). It features key insights and invaluable guidance on conducting research, preparing manuscripts, and publishing papers efficiently within spine journals.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity or challenge in spine care over the next year?
It comes down to cost. Across the board reductions in the financial solvency on the field as a whole creates numerous cascading problems that intersect with each other. This has a domino effect that puts incredible stress on health systems, surgeons, physicians, patients, and organizations.
What's one area of your council's work that you wish people were more aware of?
Our development of new, surgeon-centered programming and a complete revamp of educational offerings and the way education is delivered throughout the year and the annual meeting. This includes a robust, compelling, non-CME related portfolio and the interaction of our offerings with the new Distinguished Fellow of the North American Spine Society (DFNS) designation that is being launched at the annual meeting this year with the inaugural class of fellows.
What accomplishment from the past year are you most proud of — and what impact has it had?
We spearheaded the development of the Distinguished Fellow program, which was a major initiative that has the potential to restructure the way membership interacts with the organization and how NASS will be able to engage with the membership on numerous different fronts now and in the future. The Distinguished Fellow initiative touches on every facet of NASS and what it does for members and even non-members or potential members.
How can members engage with or benefit from your council’s work in the coming year?
Look at the educational offerings, attending a virtual educational session, or come to an in-person meeting. Subscribe and consume what offerings are available through NASS Anytime.