Community Highlights: Meet Jeffrey Wang of USC Spine Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Wang.

Hi Jeffrey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am currently a spine surgeon and I am a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery at the University of Southern California (USC) Spine Center at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. I was born in South Dakota and grew up in West Virginia, but went to college at Stanford University and fell in love with California. I have always wanted to be a surgeon and I find the anatomy, surgery, and the spinal problems that patient face, just fascinating. During my training, I always wanted to continue to teach the next generation of spine surgeons and continue to create research into novel treatments, and to perform the most challenging and complex spine surgeries. My current position at USC allows me to do all of this, so I find it very satisfying.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The education, training, and building a research program and clinical practice are all very challenging and I found that I need extreme focus and perspective, in order to accomplish my goals. I think the long and hard road to get to my current situation was great for building character, resilience, and learning how to accomplish difficult goals. The biggest struggle was to balance family time versus my clinical practice, being there for my family, and along the way one has to learn how to manage a difficult schedule. I do think I have achieved a great balance in my life and I think all of us have to find a way to deal with these life situations in order to accomplish our goals.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a spine surgeon and I am the Co-Director of the USC Spine Center at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Running a spine center with multiple surgeons, interventionists, and spine professionals is very challenging but extremely rewarding. We take care of patients with all types of spinal disorders and many have significant symptoms that compromise their lifestyle. I think the element that sets us apart from other groups, is that we personalize the care, looking at all of the different treatment options for each individual patient, and recommend conservative and interventional care, before considering surgery. We are extremely proud to treat all of our patients with compassionate medical care, and really talking to them to understand their personal needs. I would want patients to know that their well-being is the top priority above all else.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have had many mentors throughout my career, but the one person who has influenced me the most is my late father. He was genuinely the nicest and most kind person that I have ever met. He always kept everything in perspective and taught me the value of being nice, humble, and just do the best job you can do personally. He taught me that one cannot control the actions of anyone else, and not to worry about how others act or behave. He taught me that I should just do the best job possible in the most honest and humble manner, and that would be rewarding, because you can only control yourself, and you cannot control other people. He taught me this by example, and I always think about him whenever I deal with others. He was the greatest person that I have ever met.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.keckmedicine.org/services/spine/

Image Credits
just me – Jeff Wang