Dr. Trevor Pickering performs 700 joint replacements each year. "This allows my patients to be active again and not only improves their immediate quality of life, but extends the length of their life by increased blood flow and exercise," he says. Pickering, a partner in Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center in Jackson, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knees and hips.

This quiet and unassuming native Californian lives in Madison with his wife, Cris, and daughter, Nora. Pickering, 47, doesn't play golf and says his hobby is his family.

When it comes to vacations, he says, "I'm working on that." His surgical days start with rounds at 5:30 a.m., and Pickering heads into surgery at 7 a.m. for around six hours of replacing hips and knees.

Pickering has an undergraduate degree in comparative literature from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in French literature from Columbia University in New York.

While studying comparative literature during a fellowship in Paris, Pickering realized that he wasn't getting satisfaction from his studies. He wanted to be more a part of the community and have a tangible and positive effect on it. His desire to better others' lives led to medical school at Duke University.

The Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center brought him to the Magnolia State, and now Pickering lives, works and eventually wants to retire in the Jackson area.

"We like the people, the culture and the lifestyle, and it is just easy to live here," Pickering explains.

Pickering says that one of the biggest challenges in joint replacement today is getting a lifetime of longevity from our bones. "It used to be that the replacements would wear out. But with advanced materials, they can last a lifetime," he says. "The replacements are so good that the bone wears out faster."

Another challenge for Pickering is working with obese patients. "The technical difficulty and risks are much greater in these patients, but if done properly, the outcome can be very good," he says.

He works with those patients by negotiating with them over their weight. "I tell them that if they can show me they can lose some weight, I can help them," Pickering says.

Mississippi Sports Medicine runs a weight-loss clinic with two nutritionists to help these patients. "We thought we'd address the issue head-on," Pickering says.

Pickering credits his wife for supporting his career path—even when it meant 10 years of training to be a surgeon. "Cris has always been terrifically supportive of my career change. She has tolerated a lot of adversity and many moves around the country. I could not have done it without her. I knew it would fulfilling in the long run, and I was right."