More than 14 years of schooling seems to have only fueled the love of learning for orthopaedic surgeon, Robert Raines, Jr., M.D. A member of the Wellington foot and ankle team, Dr. Raines specializes in treating particularly complicated problems involving fractures, reconstruction and conditions resulting from diabetes. And as he goes about his daily practice, he continues to learn--through teaching new doctors.

"Training orthopaedic residents is very important to me," Dr. Raines says. "My own training involved what I consider front-line, leading-edge techniques. I'm particularly interested in exploring new ideas about foot and ankle care, and teaching enables me to stay current."

Education serves as the foundation for interaction with his patients as well. "I spend a lot of time on making sure my patients understand what their ailment is, the reason they have this problem and why I recommend a certain course of treatment,"

A self-proclaimed "doer" who likes to "be actively invloved, build things and work with my hands," surgery seemed the natural choice for Dr. Raines, who knew "for as long as I can remember" that medicine would be his chosen career. The more I got to know about orthopaedics, I saw it was a field that was growing and changing rapidly. I thought I could make a contribution here, especially in foot and ankle care. There's a lot of oppoutunity for research and resident education in this area, and I believe patients benefit from foot and ankle specialists just as they do in other orthopaedic fields such as pediatrics and spine.

Beyond medicine, Dr. Raines' many outside interests include playing and listening to music and spending time with his wife and three children.

Dr. Raines will see patients--from teens to seniors--at Wellington's Westside offices.

Certifications

• American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery