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A LIVING LEGEND, A BEACON, AN ICON

By Sudha Ravilla, M.D. I am honored to pen this personal essay about a great physician and human being, Dr. J. Orson Smith. It may not be common knowledge to many physicians in Tallahassee that this living legend just embarked on his ninth decade of life, but he is a living testament to the fact that for some, age is merely a number.

I first came to know Dr. Orson Smith when I applied for an open position for Medical Director of the Lipid Center. As I started conversing with him, I quickly realized that I was perhaps preordained to be his professional partner, despite the fact that in every conceivable aspect, I was pretty much his phenotypical antonym! He had a simple and grace imbued unpretentious way about him, that never reminded me of the glaring contrasts between us. Still, our minds could not be more in sync professionally and we connected instantly. I was quickly educated by my peers at the time that he had a spectacular reputation and that filling his shoes would not be for the faint of heart, and I soon realized why that was the prevailing sentiment.

His very first gesture of generosity toward me, his professional partner, was to offer up his lovely office. He recognized the symbolism of that move and made the transition as seamless as possible and never once made me feel the weight of his baton. As I learned the unique ropes of the practice of Lipidology from him, putting my passion for Lipidology to the test, he never towered over me, symbolically speaking, to remind me of his stature. Without ever subtly implying that I should practice in the shadow of his reputation, he graciously gave me the freedom to establish myself on my own terms and potential — this natural grace, notwithstanding his stature, was never lost on me. For that, I am ever grateful. He may be best known as an excellent physician to people at large, known for his knowledge, dedication, and clinical astuteness embedded with stellar clarity of thought. Still, I would like to highlight some of his other personal attributes that I have come to know over time and greatly admire. There are many, but there are a few that stand out from my perspective. They include his broad-mindedness, pragmatism, positivity, grace, humility, lightheartedness, not to mention dedication to his family - I am sure that Mrs. Smith would vouch for the additional title “great husband” as well, and one could argue that tops all the rest!

One particular personal attribute that spills into his professional career ever so seamlessly and deserves special mention is his broadmindedness, which is a unique attribute for someone of his stature. I can vouch for this as a woman, much younger, with contrasting skin hue, a relatively recent implant in the healthcare landscape in town, and embarking on my practice. It soon became evident to me that he is not one to see color, age, or gender when it comes to recognizing or sharing intellectual property. One striking example is when he would walk up to my exam room in the clinic and casually ask for my opinion. “Sudha, what are your thoughts on this case?” he would ask. Secretively, of course, this was one of my greatest honors that “the great Dr. Orson Smith” asked for my opinion! I am not sharing this in a braggadocious way but highlighting his professionalism, punctuated by his admirably raw and humble passion for intellectual curiosity! I have a special appreciation for his equanimous approach to professional partnership, sans any barrier, no holds barred. In other words, he makes me forget about the stark visible contrasts that the world may see between us, which is a colossally

J. Orson Smith, Jr., M.D.

refreshing attribute. He is a true beacon of professionalism in this sense as well.

Last but not least, I would be remiss if I did not make mention of his lightheartedness in approaching life in general. He will never leave you feeling a generational gulf with him and will embrace a hearty laugh without missing a beat!

If there was ever a doubt in your minds that I may have referred to my time with Dr. Smith in the past tense, please know that it is very much in the present! YES, he is still in practice, part-time, and as sharp as a tack! Retirement is a rather abstract and preposterous concept to him given his keen intellect and his gentile yet indomitable spirit that keeps him going, no matter the circumstances. In summary, Dr. Smith is a remarkable human being. We are immensely fortunate to have such a top-notch clinician with his vast array of experiences, walking amongst us, disseminating his rich medical knowledge in the most down-toearth manner possible. He has, is, and will always be a great source of inspiration to all of us in the medical community, not just as an exemplary physician professionally but a remarkable human being personally. Not too many that have walked the face of this earth can claim credit in both these realms. He tends to shy away from being called a “legend” or an “icon,” but I am going to take the liberty to make this title official, as he continues to march forward on his illustrious journey that we are all privileged to witness… “Dr. J. Orson Smith, a living legend.”

About J. Orson Smith, Jr., M.D.: J. Orson Smith, Jr., M.D. was born in Bainbridge, GA in 1931. After graduating from high school at the age of sixteen, he enrolled at Emory University and later at Emory Medical School. He graduated at the top of his class in 1956 and started his internal medicine training at New York Hospital. He returned to Emory to finish a fellowship in cardiology under Bruce Logue. While he was at a conference, Dr. Logue recommended that he come to Tallahassee to practice with Dr. I.B. Harrison, which he did in 1962. Seeing the need for more trained physicians in Tallahassee, he helped bring medical education to the community with the inauguration of the TMH Family Medicine Residency Program. He was a partner in an internal medicine group that became Southern Medical Group, the major provider at TMH. After retiring from hospital care, he specialized in management of lipid disorders, and lately has continued consultations via telemedicine. Two of Dr. Smith’s sons became cardiologists: Andrew is chief of service at Emory; David is a member of Southern Medical Group. His granddaughter Clara Barranco, M.D. graduated from FSU College of Medicine and is now a resident in dermatology in Orlando. About Sudha Ravilla, M.D.: Sudha Ravilla, M.D. attended medical school at Kilpauk Medical College in India, and completed a residency at Creighton University. Dr. Ravilla is board certified in Internal Medicine and Lipidology. She is one of very few physicians in the country who has earned lifetime board certification in Clinical Lipidology. Dr. Ravilla was recently awarded Fellowship status with the National Lipid Association. Dr. Ravilla has practiced medicine for 15 years. In 2015, Dr. Ravilla moved to Tallahassee from Omaha, Nebraska where she led one of the very few standalone lipid clinics in a VA system at the time, fighting many odds with her passion for the field of Lipidology and patient education. Dr. Ravilla currently serves as the Medical Director of the Lipid Center at the Tallahassee Memorial Metabolic Health Center, which is now one of the few standalone lipid centers in the private system in the country.