''When I was a small child, I was fascinated by playing doctor and getting my patients well,'' Dr. Edelman explains.
Dr. Edelman obtained his undergraduate degree in microbiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville and his M.D. from Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University.
After graduating, Dr. Edelman began his private practice in general surgery in Miami. Since then, his out-of-the-box thinking has led to incredible breakthroughs in the field of medicine. In 1989 he realized that the future of surgery would strive for minimally invasive techniques, so he learned many laparoscopic procedures early on in his career. These included colon surgery, adrenal surgery, and thoroscopic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis. Today he is sought after to teach these techniques at courses around the world.
As a pioneer of new techniques, Dr. Edelman is currently performing surgery using a new material called Surgisis Biodesign. Made from the small intestines of pigs, Dr. Edelman uses the material to repair sports hernias for a wide variety of professional and amateur athletes.
In order to pass along his knowledge, Dr. Edelman has published numerous articles on many of these topics and authored chapters in many highly respected surgical textbooks.
Dr. Edelman attributes his success in the healthcare industry to "hard work ethic, my love to learn, read, and teach, and being fortunate enough to have an understanding wife and family."
| Q. What do you enjoy doing when you aren't working? A. I play golf, ride horses with my wife, and play bass guitar. I love to travel to Colorado to hike, bike, and be in the outdoors. [Also,] when I am not working I find it is important to leave town and spend quality time with my family (wife and 3 daughters). Now that my children are older and in college, they still desire to come away on vacations with Mom and Dad. Q. Who is your role model? A. My pediatrician growing up was Dr. James White. After I grew up and went to college, I would come back home on vacation breaks and work with him. He became the president of the Florida Medical Association and is now retired. Also, Dr. Arthur Schwartz guided me during my college years and taught me how to be a good physician and a good person. Q. What songs are on your iPod right now? A. Rock-and-roll (70's & 80's) with some modern rock. I like John Fogarty, Bob Seger, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the newer groups like The Fray, Keane, John Mayer, and Coldplay. Q. What's your favorite quote or saying? A. "A man is never too tall to stoop down to help a boy." |
While Dr. Edelman explains that his proudest medical accomplishment came when he was selected as one of 10 surgeons to travel to China to demonstrate minimally invasive surgery to the country - "I performed a laparoscopic appendectomy with the Chief of Surgery in Shanghai to the amazement of 100 surgeons watching" - he says that the most rewarding part of working in the healthcare industry is the "immediate gratification by performing a successful operative procedure and seeing the patient recover."
