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Dr. Mehlman (’89) on
pediatric orthopedic
surgery
The way-cool perks
of making a
difference in the
lives of kids
By
Richard Heck
Jan. 30, 2009
Pediatric orthopedic
surgery “is the
coolest,” according
to Charles T.
Mehlman, D.O. (’89),
who echoed the
speech of his young
patients during the
most recent Career
Medical Specialties
Series lecture.
“It’s cool to take
kids with bad
traumas and put them
back together
again,” said Mehlman,
an attending
pediatric orthopedic
surgeon at
Cincinnati
Children’s Hospital
Medical Center. “You
take a kid and get
him to walk and
affect his life:
like fixing a hip
for 90 years of use
and
then getting thanked
for your effort—it’s
definitely a good
day’s work.”
Dealing on daily
basis with injured
children and
teenagers, often
suffering trauma or
severe diseases, may
seem daunting, even
tragic, but Mehlman
finds the specialty
to be exceedingly
rewarding. “The best
part of pediatrics
is the wonderful
honesty of children.
They have no pretext
like adults (who
often have) hidden
agendas.”
After graduating
from OU-COM in 1989,
Mehlman completed
both a rotating
internship and an
orthopedic surgery
residency at
Grandview, followed
by an internal
medicine residency
at Akron General
Medical Center. Next
he completed a
pediatric orthopedic
surgery fellowship
at Cincinnati
Children’s Hospital
Medical Center and
finally a master’s
of public health in
clinical
effectiveness from
the Harvard School
of Public Health.
Mehlman emphasized
that pediatric
orthopedic surgery
offers some
professional
variety. “My job is
not all surgery; I’m
a disease manager. I
do everything at my
disposal,” he said.
“The hard part is
the lengthy follow
up to judge success,
but that can be way
cool, too.”
Mehlman serves an
associate professor
of pediatric
orthopedic surgery
and director of
musculoskeletal
outcomes research
and pediatric
orthopedic resident
education at the
Queen City Medical
Center.
Mehlman, a
self-described
academic “geek,” has
contributed to a
variety of medical
journals, books and
papers on topics
related to pediatric
orthopedics.
“I’m trying to
improve the quality
of (medical)
literature out
there. It’s an honor
to write for
important sources of
pediatrics and to
help improve the
standards for the
field,” Mehlman
said. “My job
satisfaction comes
from teaching and
developing new
knowledge.”
Mehlman advised the
OU-COM students to
nurture their
interests, engage in
research and
continue to learn.
“Being a doctor will
always have its bad
days. However, my
good days outnumber
the bad. When you
get a big hug from
an appreciative
parent and a
high-five from a kid
because you had a
major impact on
these kids’ lives,
that’s way cool,”
Mehlman said.
Mehlman received
OU-COM’s Medal of
Merit in 2006.
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