FRIENDS OF MEDICINE
Pelofsky Ends Distinguished 51-Year Career in Neurosurgery As a kid from Brooklyn whose family earned barely enough money to survive, Stan Pelofsky knew his dream of becoming a doctor was highly unlikely. Today, as he looks back on his 51-year career as a neurosurgeon in Oklahoma, he is filled with gratitude for the impossible dream that came true. Pelofsky, whose mother and father immigrated to New York from Poland, grew up in a small apartment in Brooklyn, his parents working hard at several jobs to support the family. Pelofsky’s goal of becoming a doctor seemed lost until an unexpected connection with Oklahoma occurred. His older brother, who was in the Air Force, was being sent to Oklahoma State University to earn his doctorate in electrical engineering. His brother encouraged Pelofsky to join the military as well, but he didn’t want to at the time. Instead, he applied to several medical schools and asked for scholarships. Stan Pelofsky, M.D.
“I was accepted into a few medical schools on the East Coast, but they were too expensive,” he said. “I had applied to the OU College of Medicine because my brother was in Oklahoma, and they accepted me and gave me a scholarship. From that point on, I’ve always had a debt to repay to the state of Oklahoma because I couldn’t have had my career without the medical school and the scholarship.” After earning his undergraduate degree at Long Island University in Brooklyn, Pelofsky entered the OU College of Medicine in 1962, graduating in 1966 with top honors. He stayed on campus for his internship year, focusing six months each on surgery and medicine. Then one day in 1967, he opened a letter from the U.S. government saying he was being drafted into the Navy. His first assignment was at the San Diego Naval Hospital, where he worked as a general medical officer in a walk-in clinic. Because he was more familiar with surgery, he spoke with the surgery department chairman, who gave him the lone resident spot in surgery that had not been filled. His first assignment was on the neurosurgical service. “The only thing I knew about neurosurgery was the TV show ‘Ben Casey,’” Pelofsky said. “I became the general medical officer for this group of 10 Navy neurosurgeons and helped with cases, did histories and physicals, anything they needed me to do.” At the end of that year, Pelofsky was notified that he would be going to a field hospital (MASH Unit) in Da Nang, Vietnam. Because he had been exposed to neurosurgery, he was again assigned to the neurosurgical unit, and while he was there, decided that he would indeed like to become a certified neurosurgeon himself. “The issue was, how do you become a neurosurgeon when you’re in Da Nang?” Pelofsky said. “I wrote a letter to Dr. John Schilling, chairman of the Department of Surgery (at the
OU College of Medicine) and said, ‘I’d like to be a neurosurgeon, but I can’t come for an interview because I’m 9,000 miles away in Vietnam. Is there any way you can help me?’” Months later, he received good news in the mail: He would have a neurosurgery residency spot waiting for him when he got out of the military. In 1969, he came home and started his residency, working at a total of five hospitals on campus and around Oklahoma City. When he finished his four years as a resident, he joined the practice of what is now known as Neuroscience Specialists in Oklahoma City, later serving as president of the group. He and his partners also developed the Neuroscience Institute in Oklahoma City. Working with the architect of the new building, Pelofsky helped develop and design the glass pyramid structure, imbuing it with his love of science and art. In 1999, he and his partners developed and built the Oklahoma Spine Hospital. Pelofsky’s clinical focuses were brain surgery, pituitary surgery, peripheral nerve surgery and surgery of the spine. His colleagues have long characterized him as a doctor who always put his patients first and prioritized communication with both patients and families. For Pelofsky, it was as simple as listening to his mother’s advice. “When my mother learned that I was going to be a doctor, she said, ‘Just be nice.’ And I’ll tell you, just being nice is the key to establishing a healthy, positive and productive patient-doctor relationship,” he said. “Let the patient talk. Let them tell you what’s wrong without interrupting them. In two or three minutes, they’ll tell you, 95% of the time, what’s the matter with them and give you a direction into how to diagnose and treat them.” “When patients come to a neurosurgeon, they are often scared and hurting,” he added. “When I see a patient for the first time, I break the ice by saying, ‘Hey, what’s a nice person like you doing in a place like this?’ They realize I’m a human being and I’m interested in what their issues are and how I can help them. It sounds so simple, but it’s amazing.” In addition to his legacy of excellent patient care and surgery, Pelofsky changed the neurosurgical field through his service to national and international neurosurgical organizations. His initial involvement was as president of the Oklahoma State Neurosurgical Society for eight years, followed by serving as president of the National State Council of Neurological Societies. In 2001, he was elected president of the American Association of Neurologic Surgeons, the largest neurosurgical association in the world. He worked with the organization for 20 years on clinical, academic and research issues. In 2013, he was presented the Lifetime Neurological Service Achievement Award. He served in various capacities with many other state and national organizations. Pelofsky retired in 2020 in a process he compares to landing a plane. “After 51 years, I landed the plane and tried to make it a smooth landing,” he said. “I walked away from it feeling totally connected to this state, to my profession and to the OU College of Medicine.”
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