Dr. Richard Gross ’61 welcomed into POSNA Hall of Fame
Dr. Richard H. Gross, MD ’61, was recently inducted into the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA). The recognition honors Gross and fellow inductees for their dedication to POSNA and for teaching and mentoring, studying musculoskeletal conditions in children, and caring for children with musculoskeletal conductions.
Gross earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Alfred University, where he lettered in wrestling and football. After graduating from Alfred, he attended Duke University School of Medicine and graduated in 1965.
Following medical school, he honored his ROTC commitment and entered in the U.S. Army for residency training, during which he cared for the numerous casualties of the Vietnam war while working at the William Beaumont Hospital in El Paso, TX. The respite from war casualties during that year gave rise to his interest in the nascent field of pediatric orthopedics, and he returned to Carrie Tingly following his discharge from the Army. After stops in Oklahoma, Gross was named the first pediatric orthopedist at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1986.
His career highlights include making 16 medical mission trips to Vietnam, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Romania, Palestine, and Tanzania; receiving POSNA’s Humanitarian Award in 2019; receiving the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Orthopedics Distinguished Service Award in 2008; and delivering more than 60 articles and presentations.
In addition to POSNA, Gross is also a member American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the Scoliosis Research Society, Orthopaedics Overseas, and the Orthopedic section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is past committee chair and lead author of the POSNA Core Curriculum Guide (now POSNA Study Guide); past member of the AAOS Leadership Development Committee; past editorial board member for the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics; past delegate to the American Medical Association; and past board president, Pattison’s Academy, Charleston, SC, serving children with multiple disabilities.
For 15 years, Gross was goalkeeper coach for the Wando High School boys soccer team in Mt. Pleasant, SC, helping guide the team to four South Carolina state championships.
Gross joined Alain Dimeglio, MD, John “Jack” Flynn, MD, and Laura Lowe Tosi, MD, as 2024 POSNA Hall of Fame inductees. To be eligible for induction, one must be a minimum of 60 years old and have been a POSNA member for at least 15 years. Members of the 2024 Hall of Fame class were recognized May 8 during POSNA’s annual meeting in National Harbor, MD.