Image source: The New York Times
One of the most prominent and innovative neurosurgeons in the pediatric field, the late Fred J. Epstein was told in school that he would never go to medical school or become a doctor. Epstein struggled in school due to his learning disabilities, including dyslexia. He read slowly and had trouble making sense of numbers. Luckily, though, he persevered through school and refused to listen to those who told him he would never succeed.
According to Epstein, he studied for many more hours than other students and managed to graduate from New York University and New York Medical College. After completing his internship and surgical residency at Montefiore Medical Center, he began a neurosurgical residency where he developed a passion for pediatrics.
Dr. Epstein performed over 2,500 operations and pioneered the use of new technology such as lasers, ultrasound, and huge microscopes to remove tumors that were once thought to be inoperable. He was known to me a medical visionary, proving his old nay-sayers wrong.
To read more of his inspirational story, visit the New York Times website.