From Father to Son: Two Generations of NYAM Fellows

NYAM Fellows Dr. Norman Orentreich and his son, Dr. David S. Orentreich, not only excel in the practice of medicine; they continually strive to improve the lives of their patients through ongoing and rigorous academic and clinical research. Fellows since 1956 and 1996, respectively, Norman and David have sought to bring greater attention to the profession through the field of dermatology.

Dr. Norman Orentreich Dr. David Orentreich

Dr. Norman Orentreich, a pioneer in the field of dermatology, graduated from New York University of Medicine in 1948 and soon began his quest to understand and treat a variety of skin conditions. His work in hair loss, wound healing, aging, and soft-tissue augmentation would be well-received in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals, leading to his appointment as the first president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

David said his father had a thirst for knowledge and sought to apply his ingenuity to the practice of medicine, especially in aging and particularly the effect it had on wound healing.

“At that time, dermatology was very much a medical specialty; there was very little hands-on work, i.e., surgical intervention. Dermatologists typically referred their patients to a surgeon when a routine skin biopsy was indicated,” David said.”My father changed all that by developing and performing many surgical procedures for the treatment of his patients’ skin problems.”

While at NYU’s Skin and Cancer hospital, Norman focused his clinical research on patients with hair loss, making use of small scalp skin grafts to better understand the pathophysiology of these diverse conditions. This led to the establishment of the theory of donor and recipient dominance, making it surgically possible to transplant healthy “androgen insensitive” hair from the back of the scalp to the “androgen sensitive” bald areas in the front where it would take and grow permanently.

In 1952, Dr. Orentreich continued to innovate when he performed the first successful hair transplant. His technique would eventually be emulated by dermatologists the world over, leading to more than 10,000 such transplants by 1966. Although the surgical technique has evolved, Norman’s pioneering concept underlying its success remains the same.

David said his father would often welcome physicians from around the world to visit his office and work with him.

“The informal atmosphere encouraged a mutually beneficial exchange of information and ideas,” David said.

It was this fascination with teaching and learning, being endlessly inquisitive, and wanting to answer questions through basic research that led Norman to establish the Orentreich Foundation for the Advancement of Science (OFAS) in 1961. Since its founding, the Foundation has published hundreds of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and is a recognized leader in methionine restriction research and its potential for prolonging life. 

While in medical school David knew he would emulate his father’s passion for medicine and his quest to improve the lives of people through scientific medical research, but was undecided about becoming a dermatologist. Upon his graduation from Columbia College of Physicians and surgeons in 1980, he realized he could never have a better mentor than his father, joining his father soon after. 

The younger Orentreich quickly assumed the challenges of working with patients who were often told there was no treatment for their problem.
“We enormously enjoy the challenge of analyzing a new problem and brainstorming ways to solve it,” David said. “When you can ‘normalize’ the way people look, you often normalize their lives and improve their outlook and confidence. That’s incredibly gratifying.”

Another aspect to this challenge is the simple act of relieving a patient’s pain. David explained that while there is a spectrum of pain, for some, the pain is so acute they are wheelchair bound.

“There is nothing other than the skin cushioning the bones and exquisitely sensitive nerves of the feet from the hard surfaces the patient walks on,” David noted. “To be able to restore the soft tissue that returns a patient’s ability to walk without extreme pain, and to know I have made a significant different in their day-to-day life, is knowledge that brings me incredible joy and pride.”

For David, joining NYAM as a Fellow was yet another opportunity to walk in his father’s footsteps. While David has consistent access to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM) Library, where he is Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, his first call is always to the NYAM Library.

“NYAM has always ‘bent over backward’ to get us what we needed as quickly as possible. We are eternally in their debt for going the extra mile to get us the documentation we need to get critical information out there to our peers,” David said.

“It’s wonderful going in there,” he added. “It’s really a great feeling—it connects today’s physicians with our scientific and medical past, and it’s important to remember how far we’ve come. Even though we have a long way to go, we’ve still come a long way.”

If you have a NYAM Fellow legacy story that you would like to share, please contact Andrew Martin, NYAM Director of Communications (amartin@nyam.org).

 Print   Subscribe

Posted on September 8, 2011

Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org

More NYAM News Articles