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PGY-3
Ohio State University Hospital PM&R Program
Francesco Sammartino, MD
Fellowship-trained functional neurosurgeon
Clinical instructor house staff PGY-3 PM&R
I have a lifetime commitment to helping and serving others and this is why I have chosen to go
into Medical school. During my studies, I developed a particular interest in neuroscience, and I
got to know personally the struggles of people affected by acute neurological conditions like
stroke or traumatic brain injury. The drive to help these people has strongly influenced my
passion to pursue full training in Neurosurgery and to complete multiple fellowships in
functional neurosurgery in North America.
One aspect I missed in all of these years of training though is to actually have a chance to follow
these patients during their recovery. I have countless stories in my memory of people with
stroke, TBI, SCI, which I lost from sight after surgery, and I always wondered what happened to
them after they were discharged from our service, and how could they possibly be able to come
to the clinic one day, often on their feet! This always struck me, that as a surgeon I was able to
say confidently “I have done everything it could be possibly done”, while I personally did not
know how much a committed rehabilitation team can still do in order to make a difference in
their lives. Through contact with my surgical patients and the stories I learned during my PM&R
rotation, I realized the profound impact I can have as a Physiatrist on the life of people who
experienced debilitating conditions.