We’re very appreciative of Dr. Scott Sigman for this episode on the Ortho Show podcast, recorded several years ago, but as relevant today as it was in 2015.
After discussing Dr. Wittig’s background and his desire to be a doctor since he was two years old, the doctors discussed the journey from high school to college and medical school, and his choice to pursue orthopedics and orthopedic oncology.
After NYU Medical School, Dr. Wittig thought about cardiac surgery, but after rotating into orthopedics and becoming a resident at Columbia in their orthopedics department, a career in the field became inevitable.
While there are a lot of specialties in orthopedics, one of the rarest is oncology. When Dr. Wittig was at Columbia, with the guidance of two experts in osteosarcoma and pediatric orthopedics, including oncology, and given the variety of surgeries and the impact that surgeries have on patients, he further pursued this focus. Helping children became a mission and a passion that continues to this day.
With this strong calling, Dr. Wittig was given a fellowship with NIH, one of only five in the country at the time, and his experience in Washington, DC, further deepened his understanding, especially given the mentorship of Dr. Malawar, through Washington Healthcare Center and…
This was a two-year clinical fellowship, and Dr. Malawar conveyed tremendous information and skills, doing both research and surgeries.
Dr. Malawer is one of the lead developers of the field of orthopedic oncology, who has received many national and international honors for surgical expertise and clinical research with over 80 major peer-reviewed articles, as well as the senior author for the major textbook in this field (Musculoskeletal Cancer Surgery, Treatment of Sarcomas and Allied Diseases, which Dr. Wittig also contributed to).
Dr. Malawar is also a Professor (Clinical Scholar) of Orthopedic Surgery at Georgetown University, Consultant Surgery and Pediatric Branch, National Cancer Institute, and senior orthopedic oncology surgeon at the Washington Cancer Institute, with service also at Children’s National Medical Center, Walter Reed, and Bethesda Medical Centers for Orthopedic Oncology.
Dr. Sigman also discussed the emotional aspects of treating children with cancer, and Dr. Wittig walked through the experience of having to tell parents and create a plan.
“Usually I can tell if it is a sarcoma with an X-ray or MRI, and I start by reassuring them that no matter what we’re discussing, your child is going to be okay,” Dr. Wittig said. A biopsy is then ordered, and work on removing the tumor is scheduled. “The two most important things I ask them to remember is that we can cure them. My team is also fantastic, and we spend a lot of time with the parents, letting them know we’re going to be there to ensure their child will survive and thrive.”
