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Meet my Role Model, Dr. Frankenstein!

Meet my Role Model, Dr. Frankenstein!

By H. Utkan Aydin, MD

When I look behind to find out who my role model was, I don’t see a single person, but many different personalities who contributed to my current  modus operandi in hand surgery with their distinct aspects. Like Marcus Aurelius wrote in his first book, Meditations, each person we interact for long enough time “infects” us with a different habit, approach, etc. The first chapter of Meditations starts with a long list of people who had an effect on him:

From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.
From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character.
From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.

Similarly, our surgical persona absorbs parts of other surgeons, like Frankenstein’s monster, eventually (hopefully?) creating a very colorful patchwork of varying styles. In my case, I can proudly track my hand surgical pedigree up to two different and prominent schools in American Hand Surgery, namely Dr. Harold Kleinert and Dr. Robert E. Carroll.

If I would be asked to pick an upper extremity for the hand surgeon/monster I am in process in creating, that would be Dr. Turker Ozkan, a fellow of Bob Carroll, who also inspired me to become a hand surgeon when I was a resident. I was not the only one he “converted” to hand surgery, I know many other hand surgeons from Turkey who took a similar path after meeting him. Being an epitome of meticulousness, it was a delight to watch him to operate while he conducted every procedure in a perfect choreagraphy.

The eyes I would like to get from Dr. Tuna Ozyurekoglu, a Kleinert fellow himself, who thought me not to succumb easily to dogma but to look critically at the conventional methods. From him, I learned that it was actually possible to be an affectionate father, a caring husband and an available, affable and able hand surgeon at the same time.

Without any second thoughts I would pick Dr. Luis Scheker’s generous heart, which kept pumping energetically while he examined, cheered, and healed dozens of patients everyday in his crowded clinics. He is adored by his patients, staff, and fellows for good reason, he kept perfect balance between being the absolute gentelman, impeccable technician, and inquisitive scientist.

Brevity forces me to omit the contribution of the countless co-workers and co-fellows that were integral to building the surgeon/monster I am now.

Yet, the monster Dr. Frankenstein created led to his own demise. As one rips one other’s body part, no matter how precise the surgical excision can be, the part becomes lifeless, a bloodless flap without any circulation. Whether it will end up becoming a hideous monster or a compassionate healer seems to be depending on what type of blood and soul runs in it, and, according to what I have learned so far from my role models, this is something that has to be nurtured with compassion, curiosity, and humility.

H. Utkan Aydin, MD
Dept. of Hand Surgery
Akademiska Hospital
Uppsala, Sweden
and
Dept. Of Plastic Surgery
İstanbul Faculty of Medicine
Istanbul, Turkey

Comment (1)
Efraín Farías
September 13, 2019 12:13 am

Utkan Aydin became my dear friend while we where fellows at Kleinert’s Institute, I learned from him important lessons not included at any hand surgery curricula.
Something I will be always grateful. I agree with him when calling Dr. Luis Scheker and Dr. Tuna Ozyurekoglu as my role models. Also, Doctors Kleinert and Kutz influenced my decision on becoming a hand surgeon before knowing of them, this because my mentors on Hand Surgery in Mexico were trained or influenced by those two giants. I also want to specially mention Dr. Carlos Zaidenberg, Dr. Alejandro Espinosa, Dr. Rafael Reynoso, Dr. Mario Mendoza, Dr. José Antonio Rivas, Dr. Rodrigo Moreno and Dr. Huey Tien, my two senior fellows -Feng Shu and Raquel Castro-, and Dr. Hiram Velarde for shaping my career.
I find this essay beautifully written. Thanks for your wisdom and friendship Dr. Aydin!

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