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 Nov. 19 — Michael Ain has good reason to be proud of himself. There are only three doctors in the country who are dwarfs, including one surgeon. And Ain is that surgeon. Reaching his goal — his dream of becoming a doctor — required perseverance. Although he had proved his academic potential as an undergrad at Brown University, many in the medical community decided, based on his size, that he could not succeed as a doctor. The first time he applied to medical school, he was rejected by 10 programs. One admissions officer said bluntly that patients would not respect him. The second time around, one school, Albany Medical College, decided to give him a shot. The same school let him into its surgical residency program when the others, once again, said no. The chief of the Orthopedic Surgery Department at Albany Medical College, Dr. Richard Jacobs, explained his decision. “I thought, ‘Why not?’ He’d be judged along with the rest of ‘em and it wouldn’t count against him being short or tall or different. If he was bright enough, he was ours.” An Excellent Surgeon He’s now, at age 38, an orthopedic surgeon at one of the nation’s leading medical centers, Johns Hopkins, performing a type of surgery that requires a lot of brute strength and skill. He has shown all those who doubted him and failed to give him a chance that they were wrong. Ain has worked around the obstacles and made the necessary accommodations for his height. There is no element of his job that he cannot do. A Winning Style His patients find Ain easy to talk to and understanding. A nurse who works with him, Maria Poppe, describes his special style. “There is a different kind of glow when I see Michael with his patients. It’s almost like someone ministering to the sick ... He’s very comfortable with himself and that makes the patients very comfortable with him.” Focusing on Dwarfs While Ain treats adults and children who are not dwarfs, he has decided to specialize further in the severe bone conditions that most often affect dwarfs. Making that decision was a big move for Ain, who had not wanted before to call further attention to his own dwarfism by focusing on the subject. Parents of children with dwarfism, who have medical problems, travel from all over country to meet with Ain. It is reassuring to them that he has insight other doctors do not. And on the other side, it’s very satisfying for Ain to be able to help them. “I love seeing the kids, I like talking to the parents. I’m an anchondroplast (a dwarf) who is an orthopedic surgeon, who is trying to do a good job,” he says. A Role Model Ain has come so far and has much more in his future to accomplish. There is no doubt that he is a role model for other dwarfs, who are told they don’t have what it takes to succeed and be respected. A determined attitude is essential. “I always thought that if I worked hard enough I could get it. I might have to work harder than the next guy, but I could still achieve it, “ Ain says.  | |
W E B L I N K 4 Foot Ten
“I love seeing the kids, I like talking to the parents. I’m an anchondroplast (a dwarf) who is an orthopedic surgeon, who is trying to do a good job.” | |||||||||||||||||
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