Newswise — Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, first considered a life in medicine at the ripe old age of ten. He became enthralled with the weekly trials and tribulations of a young television doctor named Ben Casey. Although it was just a 1960's television show, it sparked an idea which led to an impressive and successful career as an internationally recognized orthopaedic surgeon. Today, Dr. Zuckerman was named President of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) at its 2009 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.
"I am honored to assume the leadership position of this great organization," said Dr. Zuckerman. "It has always been my feeling that the AAOS President, with the help of the volunteers and staff, should be responsible for steering our ship in the right direction and also for expanding and improving the Academy's very important on-going initiatives."
"In my upcoming year as AAOS President, I have chosen to expand on the area of practice management because I feel it is so centrally important to every one of our members, particularly in these challenging times" .
"I am extremely pleased that Joe Zuckerman is the new AAOS President," said E. Anthony Rankin, MD, AAOS outgoing president. "The area of practice management is indeed a timely issue facing all our members, regardless of their practice setting. Dr. Zuckerman is a thought leader in orthopaedics and brings great strength to the Academy in the area of education. He also possesses outstanding organizational and managerial skills. I have greatly benefited by working with him over the past several years," noted Rankin.
Dr. Zuckerman says he plans to concentrate on other important issues facing the Academy including; emergency care, diversity in orthopaedics, advocacy and funding for orthopaedic research. Outstanding orthopaedic surgeons, Dr. Victor Frankel and Dr. Clement Sledge, made an indelible imprint on Dr. Zuckerman. "Both men encouraged me to become involved with the Academy" , he said. "For the first ten years of my career I watched how well Dr. Frankel ran his department at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York and working under Dr. Sledge, I experienced first hand his commitment to the Academy and to orthopaedic surgery." He also credits Dr. Robert Cofield and Dr. Frederick Matsen for developing and supporting his interest in the shoulder.
Dr. Zuckerman is currently the chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases and the Walter A.L. Thompson professor of orthopaedic surgery at the NYU School of Medicine.
A graduate of Cornell University in New York and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Dr. Zuckerman completed his internship and residency at the University of Washington and a fellowship at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, in addition to duties as a visiting clinician in shoulder surgery at the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Zuckerman is recognized internationally as an expert in shoulder surgery and hip and knee replacement. He has served on the AAOS Board of Directors as Member-at-Large, Second and First Vice-President. He has also chaired several AAOS Committees and Project Teams including his role as Chair of the Council on Education. Dr. Zuckerman served as President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and has published over 250 scientific articles. The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) presented Dr. Zuckerman with its Clinical Research Award in 2002 and he has also received the "Teacher of the Year" Award on five separate occasions from the residents at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases.
Family and his profession are the two most important parts of Dr. Zuckerman's life. He has been married 25 years to his wife, Janet, who is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. They have two sons, Scott, 22, who is a first year medical student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Mathew, 19, who is a sophomore at Yale University. When asked what advice he would give his sons about choosing a career, Dr. Zuckerman, without hesitation, said he has told both Scott and Matthew that it is most important to pick a life's work where 'you will be as happy to go to work everyday, as I am'.
"My number one goal this year," said Dr. Zuckerman "is to continue to steer the AAOS ship onward and upward."
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