Although he eventually rose in his career to become Department Chair, years ago Victor Goldberg, now an internationally respected joint replacement expert, often occupied a different kind of chair…the one outside the principal’s office.
Dr. Goldberg, a professor and former chair of orthopedics at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), is also a past-president of the Orthopaedic Research Society and of The Knee Society. He has gained much in his life…but first there were heavy losses.
Young Victor lost his father at the age of five, battled his own illness at the age of seven, and then lost his mother when he was seventeen. With his life virtually turned upside down, Victor Goldberg’s future could have gone either way. “We lived in Brooklyn; I was the youngest of three boys and although my mom and I spent numerous afternoons in the principal’s office, I was actually interested in school. Because my dad was an optometrist I had some feeling for what healthcare involves. It was the pediatrician who treated me one summer, however, that really led me to consider a career in medicine. I had rheumatic fever and was put on bed rest and penicillin. This doctor spent a lot of time with me, and impressed me with his kindness. I became enamored with the idea of being a doctor, a quest that my mom supported.”
His plans for a white coat ceremony were periodically interrupted by schoolyard altercations, however…until, that is, a strong teacher and mentor got hold of him. “In 7th grade my teacher was Mr. Moses, a faculty advisor who also ran the safety monitor activities. He took control of me and put me on the safety squad and gave me a badge. All of a sudden I felt a sense of authority and I stopped acting out. I could tell that he took more of an interest in me than just wanting to control my behavior…and that meant something…he had my attention.”
Those early fits and starts of growth set the foundation for greatness. Much later on, Victor Goldberg would lead Case Western’s department of orthopedics to the ranking of #1 in National Institute of Health (NIH) grant funding in the country. “Although my mom was not able to see the results of her caring and determination, it was indeed her messages about the importance of being focused, working hard, and achieving great things that brought me where I am today. All these losses, including the death of one of my brothers, showed me that I didn’t want to waste what my parents had taught me.”
So it wasn’t a beaten down Victor Goldberg who entered college, but one somehow strengthened by the unexpected growth that can often occur during grief. “I adhered to my goal and did not waver. I knew I had to be a part of medicine because of the empathy that is an inherent part of the field. My early interactions with those in the medical world, as well as my substantial personal losses, set the stage for me…I wanted to have a lifetime of treating people in a compassionate manner.”
Once a playground scrapper, Victor Goldberg was now on track, having garnered a full scholarship to New York University and meeting his wife at the age of 19. “Medical School at Downstate was tough, but it was a standout program where I found talented mentors such as Dr. Stan Aronson—a pathologist who taught me the value of critical thinking. I was interested in neurosurgery, and I went to Case Western for an internship in surgery. I was depressed to see that there was little that neurosurgery could do for people. On my next rotation, orthopedics, I encountered Dr. Charles Herndon, the prominent chair and just a wonderful man. It was striking to me how happy the people working in orthopedics were—and that the patients tended to do very well.”
Soon after, his number was up…the draft board came calling. And although the military is not known for its flexibility, Dr. Goldberg had quite a bit of freedom. “Increasingly drawn to orthopedics, I dropped out of my neurosurgery residency and immediately received a notification from the draft board. I was able to get a deferment for a year and then I joined the Air Force as a partially trained surgeon, a role that took me to bases in New Mexico and Arkansas. I performed a wide variety of surgeries on my own and in general was accorded a great deal of independence by the military. I read a lot about orthopedics during that time, and my commitment to the field was soon complete.”
The winner of three Kappa Delta Awards for Excellence in Research in Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Goldberg to a great extent credits his time at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) for laying the foundation for his career.
The most meaningful award I have ever received was the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award from HSS.
“I applied to this program because Dr. Herndon was an alumnus, and strongly encouraged me to pursue this residency. I could not have achieved all that I have without the wonderful program at HSS.”
Indeed, when asked about his most life-altering experience, Dr. Goldberg states, “Getting to work alongside Eugene Lance, M.D., Ph.D. at HSS was tremendous. He had a brilliant scientific mind, and gave me insight into research and the specifics of how to approach it. His mantra was, ‘Ask the right questions and develop the methodology to answer those questions.’ I worked on two bone transplantation projects with him, something which further allowed me to observe his laser thought process. The result of all this was that I made a commitment to become a researcher and then spent a year with Dr. Lance in England.”
Once he returned to the U.S., Dr. Goldberg would have a work environment envied by many. “I accepted an offer from Dr. Herndon to join Case Western, in part because he was able to provide not only generous funding, but protected time for research. Then as now, such a situation is rare and valuable.”
While critical, funding and keys to a lab were only the beginning. “Doing the balancing act between my clinical work and research was really demanding. There were great lessons, however. I learned the importance of organizing my work so that I could spend time doing academic work; I also came to see that clinician-researchers won’t get very far if they don’t have sufficient support and infrastructure.”
When asked how a young clinician-researcher can present a good argument to the Chair, Dr. Goldberg advises, “Let them know that your research will be making a contribution toward the mission of the department. When you approach the Chair, be sure to have an organized program of research prepared. Don’t walk in and say, ‘I have an idea for a project.’ Leaders in academia bet on people—not projects—so you have to convince the Chair that the goals are attainable and that you are the one for the job.”
Dr. Goldberg, who as Chair led his department to the coveted #1 NIH funding slot, did a lot of convincing and a lot of research. An example: Since 1986 he has been the Principal Investigator on a controlled cartilage repair study. “We are developing new biomatrices that are completely unique. They are more structured, more biologically active, and more capable of interfacing with the host and providing the host with the necessary drivers of healing.”
“As for being honored with the incredible Kappa Delta Awards, two of those recognized our work on bone transplantation. The other I shared with Dr. Ed Greenfield; together we developed a program on how to understand bone integration with implants, why they fail, and the role of infection. We learned that what is important with regard to integration is to have an environment that is mechanically stable and free of infection.”
“The running theme of my clinical research is the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue. My work has evolved from looking at the simple issue of bone transplantation and now to the stem cell aspects of musculoskeletal tissue. The most interesting thing that has emanated from my stem cell research is exploring the capability of getting cells to express a specific phenotype to understanding how they develop into cartilage or bone.”
Show up, be focused, get it done, and bring your enthusiasm…those, says Dr. Goldberg, are the elements of his success. Even if you do all of this, however, there will be times when things don’t go your way.
As a young orthopedic surgeon I struggled to get an NIH grant, and in fact I went to the ‘trough’ three times before I had any success. Not only did this teach me to be persistent, but I learned to utilize the built-in educational process (i.e., I paid close attention to the critique of the grant application that the reviewers returned to me). Ever since my fourth NIH grant application in 1976 I have received continual funding from the agency.
A beacon not only for young clinician-scientists, Dr. Goldberg’s steady, wise presence has been heartening to those closest to him…his wife and three children. “My wife has been my loving companion for more than 50 years. She is insightful, bright, and always tells me the truth. We are incredibly proud of our children. Our son is a dedicated cardiologist, one of our daughters is a socially conscious attorney, and our youngest daughter works for Cedars Sinai Hospital in L.A. where she runs an outreach program for children. As for me and my free time, I haven’t yet found anything else that I love as much as orthopedics.”
Dr. Victor Goldberg…from a rocky start has come a boulder of strength.
