MACALUS HOGAN, MD
(Photo courtesy of UPMC)
As the weather remains nice, more and more people are hitting the pavement in the quest for more physical exercise. But as their exercise increases, so does their chance of getting a foot or ankle injury. But UPMC has a new face, with just the experience to get people fixed and back on their run. As of Sept. 1, UPMC Health System welcomed MaCalus Hogan, MD, its newest and first African-American orthopaedic surgeon.
“The opportunity to be here (in Pittsburgh) is a good one. Having family support, a good job opportunity and a promising community, I think are all positives and the (keys) of success,” Hogan said. “I look forward to learning from Pittsburgh as well as becoming more of a son of Pittsburgh. Me and my wife are hopeful for a positive and long career going forward and raising our family here.”
Hogan, who will also be a faculty member in the Foot and Ankle Division of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, will be seeing patients at the UPMC Shadyside and UPMC East locations.
“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Hogan into our Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Hogan completed his orthopaedic training at some of the nation’s top programs, and needless to say, after recruiting him we were thrilled to hear when he and his family chose Pittsburgh,” said Freddie Fu, M.D., professor and chair, Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and UPMC. “Dr. Hogan is a terrific person, family man, surgeon and researcher and will be a great addition to our department in all aspects, including clinically, scientifically and educationally.”
It was in high school that Hogan, a Muscle Shoals, Ala., native, realized his interest in orthopaedic surgery, after fracturing his ankle during a football game. With the surgeon who fixed his ankle as his mentor, Hogan’s interest developed from there. After high school, Hogan went onto attend Xavier University of Louisiana as a bio chemistry and pre-med major, then medical school at Howard University in Washington, D.C., followed by his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Virginia, and the Hospital for Special Surgery and New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College for his specialty in the foot and ankle. Hogan was also a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) scholar during his undergraduate education.
Along with his extensive academic background, Hogan also has research expertise to match. He has been involved with a number of basic and clinical research projects. He is the 2013 recipient of the Leonard Goldner Award, which he received at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society in Hollywood, Fla. He has also worked as a consultant for a number of professional sports teams and organizations.
Although being the first African-American orthopaedic surgeon for the UPMC health system is a label that Hogan said he takes seriously, he said it was not a factor in his decision to join the health system. “It’s not necessarily a label or title that I would hope would be the case, nor was it one that was the beacon of my recruitment and visitation processes, or in considering the job here, but it’s definitely one that I’ll take seriously and have pride in doing the best job possible,” he said. “I think it definitely speaks to the diversity of the area.”
Hogan said that while in Pittsburgh he looks forward to bringing his extensive experience to managing foot and ankle injuries, particularly to the foot and ankle sports injuries and those related to degenerative diseases, to expand and learn how to improve patient related outcomes after foot and ankle surgeries. Along with making professional contributions to the area, Hogan said he plans on getting involved with various mentoring organizations.
“I think mentoring is critical, growing up I had a number of mentors, starting with my father who was instrumental in my development and me trying to stay on the right path. And through the growing pains of life, having guidance at the various sectors of life is critical. Mentorship is essential to that process in all endeavors, regardless of what you may want to do. I’ve been put on this path by mentors and I hope to share that as well as pay it forward the best way I can,” he said.
Recreationally, Hogan said he looks forward to taking in a Steelers game; attending the Pittsburgh Ballet, an appreciation he gained in New York through the treating of a number of foot and ankle injuries of ballerinas and dancers; and just seeing the outdoor activities of Pittsburgh and learning the area.
Hogan is joined by his wife, Danika Hogan, a radiologist and currently a fellow at the Hillman Cancer Center, whom he met at Howard, and his 9-month-old daughter, Monika.
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