The popular Joni Mitchell lyric, “I've seen the world from both sides now,” could also serve as a capsule overview of Dr. Ronald W. Orso's 35-year medical career. As an OB/GYN practitioner, he's witnessed what he calls “the thrill and miracle of birth” thousands of times over, but he's also made life-and-death decisions in the havoc of a military field hospital during combat.
A native of Bessemer and a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine before it gained the UAB designation, he decided early in his studies that OB/GYN was the ideal specialty for him, and he says he's never regretted the choice: “I've delivered thousands of babies, but each birth is still a miracle for me.”
His rendezvous with the military came about in 1972, when he and his fellow students in residencies faced the prospect of being drafted for the Vietnam War. He joined the National Guard instead, whose six-year commitment included a flexible enough time schedule that he could finish his residency and start developing a private practice.
Somewhat to his surprise, he not only enjoyed serving in the Guard but came to feel at home there. As a result, his six-year stint eventually lengthened to 34.
“It's been a great partnership for me,” Orso says. “The only time my practice was interrupted was for six months during Desert Storm. One of the last evacuation hospitals in the National Guard is the 109th here in Birmingham. We set up in the desert of Saudi Arabia. I was a general medical officer, and we treated both American and Iraqi patients.”
Closer to home, Orso says that obstetrics/gynecology has a lot more in common with a general medicine practice than most people realize.
“The only difference, to me, is that I don't treat men,” he says. “For the majority of my patients, I'd say as many as 90 percent, I'm also their primary care-giver. A lot of specialties really narrow down what they do, but in my field we do the whole spectrum of care.”
The biggest change during his decades of practicing medicine, according to Orso, is the continuing technological breakthroughs that were unimagined when he started out. “When I was a resident, we weren't able to see inside the abdomen very well. Ultrasound was just starting to come aboard then. Now with ultrasound and CAT scans, not only can we look inside and diagnose illnesses much sooner than before, our procedures are a lot less invasive.
“Much of our surgery is laparoscopic. It allows us to do even hysterectomies with relatively small puncture wounds and let the patient go home, as compared to the weeks of recuperation that used to be required.”
But the breakthrough that holds the most promise for his field, Orso says, is the mapping of the genetic code:
“We can identify not only people's DNA, but the actual genetic makeup of a wide range of birth defects, and even the general components that cause certain illnesses. I believe this area is really going to blossom in the future, and radically change how we diagnose and treat patients.
“For instance, if we ever get to a point where we can take patients with abnormal genetic conditions and manipulate their own genes to make them well, that'll be a remarkable advantage for all of us.
“Another thing I'm hoping for is the stem cell research that would allow us to actually grow a patient's own stem cells. If they need a new heart valve, or a new muscle, they could grow one in their own bodies. It's a really exciting time to be practicing medicine.”
There's one particular event he ranks among his most memorable: “Just before I stopped doing deliveries a few years ago, I delivered a baby whose mother and father I'd both delivered. It was like completing the set,” he says with a laugh. “It was quite a special feeling.”
At the moment, Orso says, retirement is not among his plans. “It's just such an honor to share, in whatever way, in the birth of children, and get to follow them through the successes and failures in their lives.
“As long as I'm healthy, I see no reason to quit working. My patients seem more like my friends.”