Ray Oshtory, MD, MBA: SFMS November 2014 Member of the Month December 1, 2014 Member of the Month, SFMS Member Member of the Month, Ray Oshtory, SFMS member 0 Dr. Ray Oshtory is the President and Medical Director of the Pacific Heights Spine Center. He is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery for treatment of back and neck conditions. Procedures include everything from microdecompression and microdiscectomy, to complex spinal deformity reconstructions, all employing the latest minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Oshtory studied Mechanical Engineering at MIT, received his MD and MBA from UCLA, and trained in Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University. He completed his fellowship training in spine surgery at Stanford University Medical Center and St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. Dr. Oshtory has published peer-reviewed articles and presented at national meetings. In addition, he served as a Clinical Instructor at Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Oshtory has a special interest in the fields of minimally invasive surgery, cervical spine surgery, spinal deformity surgery, and biomedical device technology. He is a member of the North American Spine Society and the Society of Lateral Access Surgeons, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Click here to view Dr. Ray Oshtory's practice information. Why are you an SFMS member? I enjoy meeting and interacting with my colleagues in social settings, as well as at work. More importantly, the Society’s advocacy efforts are of critical value now than ever. My goal is to support those efforts, and to get my colleagues involved as much as possible. If we don’t stand up for our patients and ourselves, no one else will! Which SFMS member resource is most helpful to you? The periodic meetings and social events are informative and enjoyable. They provide an opportunity for me to converse with fellow members, and to keep up-to-date on the latest political reforms and new policies. What do you like to do when you’re not at work? I like to (attempt to) play golf, travel on occasion, and play with my two young boys. With winter approaching, I’m excited to take them both skiing as often as possible! What is the most important thing you learned in medical school or residency? The hardest thing for any surgeon to do is tell a patient “no.” We are taught our entire careers to help people in any way we can. As a spine surgeon, often the best way I can help someone is to recommend against surgery. Sadly, this lesson is lost in many residency and fellowship programs. At Stanford, it was the focus. What are some of the biggest opportunities or challenges you see in health care within the next five year? The biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge are the same: cost control. With the upcoming Medicare Bundled Payment Care Initiative, doctors have a unique opportunity to take back control of healthcare spending. What do you love most about being an orthopaedic spine surgeon? As a former engineer, I find most satisfying the ability to identify a problem, perform a surgical fix, and see a direct result: the improvement in symptoms. Also, as a former engineer, I love all the new technologies that are being developed for treatments of spinal disorders. What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco? Burma Superstar If you weren't a physician, what profession would you like to try? Technology serial entrepreneur. Or coconut chef on a tropical island. Comments are closed.
