Meet Reza Omid, MD

Dr. Omid is an orthopedic surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC, who specializes in shoulder and elbow conditions, sports injuries, arthritis and trauma.

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

He wanted to be a national hero.

“At a young age I was always fascinated with the Navy SEALs and dreamed of becoming one. It seemed to fit with my active lifestyle. It took a while before I realized that I should be a physician instead.”

Athleticism is in his blood.

“I like to go to the gym and on hikes with my boys. I play sports of all kinds, but my favorite sport is football. If I could trade careers, it would be with a professional athlete. It’s so amazing to see the players get paid for doing what they love.”

Traveling gets him excited.

“A wise person once told me, live where you want to live. California is my home. I love traveling to Hawaii. In fact, Maui is my favorite travel destination. So far, I’ve been to eight different countries. I really want to travel the world and get to know as many different countries and people as I can. I’m just fascinated with culture.”

Science and socializing are important to him.

“I have a passion for science, however when I was working in a research lab after college, I came to the realization that I wanted to be more interactive with people. I applied to medical school, because I figured the best way to apply science to a social situation was to become a doctor.”

Joint replacements are his specialty.

“One of the most influential advances in my field is the joint replacement. This is a surgery that allows a person to live a life that they couldn’t live before because of how much pain they used to be in. It allows mobility in an arthritic joint, where patients once experienced misery. This really affects their lives, and many patients find this to be life changing.“

People depend on him.

“I hold myself to a very high standard. Every day I try to improve, because I want to be the best at what I do, so I can provide the best possible care for my patients. When I’m at the bedside of a patient, I give sound advice and remain passionate and compassionate. Since I work in a tertiary referral center, I have the opportunity to help people who can’t really find help anywhere else. It feels so great to not only restore function that they previously had but to bring some hope into these people’s lives.“

He loves redefining the future of medicine.

“Working at Keck Medicine has been a blessing. Not only is the atmosphere a cordial, happy and positive experience that patients can often feel, but we have the opportunity to influence the future by training the next generation of orthopedic surgeons. We can do this because we have a team of world-renowned physicians in all facets of orthopedic surgery, who are committed to not only providing the best care but also to taking the time to teach medical students and residents.”

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

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