Meet Paul K. Gilbert, MD

Paul K. Gilbert, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and the medical director of orthopedic surgical operations at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.

Here’s what you won’t find on his resume.

He has strong ties to the Verdugo Hills community.

“My family and I have lived in the Foothills community for my entire career, and both of my sons were born at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (USC-VHH).”

He is an avid scuba diver.

“My entire family enjoys scuba diving. My son, Chris, and I are certified rescue divers. We have done dives in Borneo, Belize, Hawaii and more.”

He has lived in multiple countries.

“Because my father was in the Air Force, we moved every couple of years. We lived in several states in the U.S., and we also lived abroad. In fact, I never went to an elementary school or high school for more than 2 years. My junior and senior year of high school, we were in Wiesbaden, Germany. I really liked moving around because it gave me the opportunity to meet new people and go to different places.”

He attributes his honesty, integrity and work ethic to his father.

“I take a lot of characteristics from my dad, such as integrity and hard work, but the one that I feel is the most important is honesty. It’s a trait that I try to aspire to and value the most, especially in the field of medicine. If you try to exaggerate, you just miss the mark. If you don’t know the answer, say it. If you do know it, make sure you say it right. I strive to not only be honest with my patients, but with myself as well.”

He uses groundbreaking technology in his surgical practice.

“Once when I called a pizza restaurant, they were able to tell me how many pizzas I had ordered in the last few years and what the most common was. They knew more about my pizza orders than I did because they had my order history on their computer database. Similarly, in surgery, the data is critical. Innovative tools, such as advanced robotic and computer systems, provide and contain so much valuable, immediate data. All this information helps us improve procedures and patient experience.”

He loves to give back.

“Ten years ago, I went on my first trip with Operation Walk, a charitable organization that provides free total joint replacement procedures for people who do not have access to advanced care. We have traveled across the world to do joint replacements, and we also do surgeries for people in our own neighborhoods who can’t afford them. Now I’m on the board of directors for the Los Angeles chapter of Operation Walk.”

View Dr. Gilbert’s full biography and schedule an appointment.

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