It is with pleasure that we introduce the Lawrence D. Dorr Operation Walk Scholarship winner for 2024, Dr. Kamran Movassaghi. This scholarship was founded by Operation Walk Los Angeles Angel and long-time donor, Ms. Paula Paulus, to honor and celebrate Dr. Dorr’s distinguished career. This scholarship grants fourth or fifth-year residents in orthopedic surgery, aspiring to specialize in joint arthroplasty, the opportunity to participate in Operation Walk’s international missions.
My name is Kamran Movassaghi and I am the current USC Adult Reconstruction Fellow. I was born and raised in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Iran. I have one older brother who is also in medicine and helped guide me toward a similar path.
Having played sports all of my life, from soccer to surfing to snowboarding, a large part of my life has involved movement. To me, movement means independence. It means freedom. I cannot think of a more rewarding experience than to play a role in giving patients back their capacity to live normally, to get back to the activities they enjoy and to have the freedom to move again. Every time I ruminated on that opportunity, I felt a surge of excitement and knew in my gut that orthopedics was the right path. Later in residency, I was drawn to arthroplasty due to the empathy I had toward patients who were unable to do basic tasks without pain and discomfort. The opportunity to offer these patients powerful and impactful surgeries brought me joy and something I could dedicate myself to.
Prior to medical school, I obtained my master’s in global medicine so I knew medical missions would play a role in my future career. The multiple mission trips I had been on however mostly focused on primary and preventative care, and I was unsure how my career in orthopedics would help these causes. I learned about Operation Walk through multiple channels and I am excited to find such a perfect opportunity. Doing a fellowship at USC and working alongside Dr Dorr’s old colleagues and friends only increased my desire to be part of the organization.
I am extremely thrilled and grateful for this experience with Operation Walk as it will be a wonderful ending to my fellowship year and transition into my career as an attending. I am humbled to have been selected as the scholarship recipient and look forward to restoring mobility to patients who otherwise would not have the means. I hope to continue my involvement with this organization and build on its wonderful legacy.