My Dad, My Mentor: A P&S Father's Day Tribute

Katie Rosenwasser, P&S ’13, a resident in the Department of Orthopedics, knows there’s one doctor in the department she can call at any hour: her dad, Melvin Rosenwasser, P&S '76.

Having grown up in a house where Katie says “hip models were often strewn about next to Lego sets,” it was natural that her interest in medicine was piqued.

She followed in her father’s footsteps for medical school at P&S, where he taught her anatomy class where she shrank in her seat, hoping he wouldn't call on her. (He didn't.)

That experience clearly wasn't too traumatizing: She stuck around on campus and is now a resident in the Department of Orthopedics, where he completed his residency and stayed on as a member of the faculty.

Despite their familial ties, when the father and daughter are on call together, they are just two doctors named Rosenwasser.

"'Dad' enters into it only after the business part of the conversation is completed," said Melvin.

But when business isn't at the top of the agenda, the younger Rosenwasser loves to collect funny stories about her father from his colleagues, who share her admiration for him.

Melvin Rosenwasser, MD, with Katie Rosenwasser, MD, at her 2013 graduation from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Below, Katie talks about her special relationship with Melvin, and he shares his pride in her.

Q&A with Katie Rosenwasser, MD:


What role did your father play—directly or indirectly—in your educational and career choice?

I grew up around orthopedics – hip models were often found strewn about next to Lego sets and the like - so I certainly had exposure to the field from an early age.

Even so, the decision to pursue orthopedics was really made in medical school once I realized how much fun everyone was having doing this specialty. My dad maintained a distance throughout and truly let me come to the choice on my own.

 
How has he taught or encouraged you in your path?  

My dad has been teaching me all my life; being in his program has just given us the opportunity to continue the apprenticeship post-teenage years. He is a tremendous mentor and the smartest guy I know. I am very lucky to have a resource like this – especially one I'm not nervous to call in the middle of the night!

What’s it like to join his department at Columbia? Are there any special memories you would like to share?

It is incredibly special to be part of his Columbia family. He has spent his entire career here, both as a student and attending, and the people in NYP see him as a fixture in our department. As such, I've been privy to many hilarious stories of his antics over the years. A favorite hobby of mine is to collect impressions of him from various employees around the hospital, because everyone has one. It's always funny for me to see that the personality and character I have known my whole life ekes out even in the operating room.

What are you grateful for this Father’s Day?  

I am grateful to be so close with my Dad. It is a rare privilege to have this type of relationship, especially in a field such as this, and I appreciate the chance to spend these years working with him.

Q&A with Melvin Rosenwasser, MD:

How does it feel to see your daughter follow in your footsteps at your medical school, in residency, and in specialty?

My wife and I are very proud of Katie. She is the third child in birth order and the first daughter and has been an independent spirit throughout her life. She was introduced to my career like her siblings and decided while in college to pursue the preparatory path to medicine while maintaining her interests in literature.

These interests led her to a job at Google for three years prior to beginning her studies here at P&S. Sharing her experience at P&S was wonderful and I still remember the anatomy class I taught to her first-year classmates where she hoped I would not call on her during the lecture. (I didn’t.)

She gravitated to orthopedic surgery as her career focus and having her in my service as a subintern and watching her help close an incision was special. She created her residency match ranking without my input and when I heard she was coming to our residency I was thrilled. Our interactions when she is on call are between Dr. Rosenwassers and “dad” enters into it only after the business part of the conversation is completed.

What role did you play in your daughter’s career path?

I hope I played the role of a supportive parent in encouraging her to pursue her dreams. We worked together on an Intel Science Research Project while she was in high school and her fascination with science and medicine was reinforced. Katie accompanied me on trips abroad to teach at international orthopedic meetings and saw the breadth of the career possibilities. She also worked as a research assistant in my clinical outcomes research lab and got to interact with residents and patients.

Have you had any special memories together on campus?

The first case we did together was operative treatment of a displaced ankle fracture and Katie, as the junior resident, was not expected to do very much of the procedure. However, her senior resident was called away and Katie had to act as my first assistant. She did so admirably and strove for precision in all details.

What are you grateful for this Father’s Day?

I am happy to be staying close to our children, their significant others, and especially our first granddaughter, and watching their lives unfold.