Baylor Medicine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

08/26/2025

Happy Tuesday! Time to meet another one of our incredible interns, Jonathan Schwartzman, MD! 🦴

🏡Hometown: Bethesda, MD
🎓Undergraduate: Duke University
⚕️Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
🎾Hobbies: Tennis, chess, poetry

Why did you go into orthopedics? “I was inspired by a career lunch in middle school. My interest in orthopedics stems from intertwining humanity with scientific advancement to restore function and enable others to lead active, healthy lifestyles.”

Why BCM Orthopedics? “I was drawn to BCM Orthopedics for its culture of driven, coachable residents who support one another. I sought to serve a diverse patient population and was especially drawn to the Texas Medical Center, among the foremost areas to train in the country.”

Last, but certainly not least, JD was a member of Duke's first Division 1 fencing team to win an ACC Championship!

Welcome to the team, JD! 🎉

08/25/2025

Dr. Omar Atassi is one of our orthopedic surgeons specializing in trauma and fractures to the bones, joints and soft tissues.

As an orthopedic trauma surgeon, Dr. Atassi cares for patients at several locations including Baylor St. Luke's at McNair Campus, Ben Taub General Hospital, and multiple institutions throughout the Texas Medical Center.

He oversees an array of orthopedic trauma cases - from managing the complex polytrauma patient admitted to Ben Taub General Hospital, Harris county's level one trauma center, to ambulatory fractures and chronic injuries at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center at McNair Campus.

Dr. Atassi believes that unlike most of medicine where the goal is adding years to someone's life, in orthopedics the goal is to add LIFE to patients' years. He carries this mantra with him every day as he cares for his patients, striving to get them back to their pre-injury level of function!

Ready to schedule an appointment with Dr. Atassi or one of our other orthopedic specialists? Give us a call at 713-986-6016!

08/21/2025

Last night, our PGY3 residents, Dr. Bruce Moseley, and our athletic trainers conducted their annual pre-season training for sideline injuries and spine boarding.

This hands on training ensures our team is prepared to provide immediate, essential care to our athletes as the school and fall sport seasons begin!

08/21/2025

Weighted vests are everywhere, but are they right for you?

In our latest blog post, physical therapist Melanie McNeal breaks down the pros and cons and shares how to safely use one for your strength or cardio workouts.

Read the blog here:

Melanie McNeal explains how and when to use a weighted vest in your workout and discusses whether a weighted vest is right for you.

08/20/2025

Happy Wednesday! It’s time to meet another one of our newest resident physicians! 🤩

Meet Sameer Khawaja, M.D.! 👋

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Undergraduate: Emory University

Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine

Hobbies: Working out, photography, supporting the Jacksonville Jaguars

Fun fact: I trained a puppy (Molly!) for 2 years to become a guide dog for a blind individual!

Why you went into orthopedics: I view orthopaedics as the primary care of surgery, where immediate, hands-on solutions can restore function and improve lives. What drew me most to orthopedics is its dual impact: the ability to serve both my local community and those in need globally through service trips. During medical school, I was also fortunate enough to be supported by incredible mentors who not only deepened my clinical knowledge but also inspired me to engage in cutting-edge research and surgical innovation. From exploring the latest techniques to applying cutting-edge technology, I’ve found that orthopaedics uniquely blends skill, service, and innovation.

Why did you choose BCM Orthopedics for your residency? “I chose BCM Ortho because of the combination of surgical experience, trauma exposure, and research opportunities. During my rotation here as a sub-I, I witnessed 3rd and 4th year residents operating completely independently. Trauma is the foundation of orthopaedics and the exposure at Ben Taub is second to none. As a 1st and 2nd year resident, I knew I’d be capable of handling anything that came through the trauma bay. Finally, the research opportunities around the TMC are endless. I’m very interested in joint biomechanics and it has been very easy to find likeminded mentors and innovators to work with.”

We are elated to have you on our team, Dr. Khawaja! 🎉

08/15/2025

Happy Friday from Grand Rounds!

Thank you to Jose "Joe" Vela Jr., J.D., LL.M., a healthcare trial lawyer and Partner at Clark Hill Law, for leading today’s Grand Rounds.

Mr. Vela presented "Under the Knife: Current Government Enforcement Trends Against Private Investment in Physician Practices Under Federal and State Healthcare Fraud Laws."

His lecture detailed the federal and state laws that restrict business relationships with private investors. He also provided key insights on how to identify and evaluate risky business relationships and take corrective action to avoid violations of healthcare laws.

This session was crucial for understanding how to protect against government prosecution in an evolving healthcare landscape.

08/15/2025

Behind every successful residency and fellowship program is a dedicated team making it all happen.

Today, on GME Professionals Day, we're shining a spotlight on three of the very best GME professionals: Ellie Saenz-Garza, Emily Robles, and Cheyanne Logan!

Your dedication and passion to the education of our orthopedic surgeons and physicians does not go unnoticed. Thank you for your essential work, we are so proud to have your on our team!

08/12/2025

What time is it? It’s time to meet another one of our newest orthopedic resident physicians! 🤩

Meet Nagaraj Swaminathan, M.D. (Also known as Adi)! 👋

Hometown: Suwanee, GA

Undergraduate: Emory University

Medical School: The Medical College of Georgia

Hobbies: Art Museums, Traveling, and Playing Settlers of Catan

Interesting Fact about Adi: "I was in India until my sophomore year of Highschool."
Why Orthopedics? "I was drawn to orthopedics by my research in limb salvage and the opportunity to restore mobility and function through hands-on, solution-oriented care, state of the art surgical interventions reinforced my passion for the field."

Why did you choose BCM Orthopedics for your residency? “During my time as a rotator, Baylor ortho made me feel truly valued and consistently supported my growth by actively involving me in patient care and decision-making. I was especially drawn to the strong sense of camaraderie among the residents, which made the environment feel like a family. The program’s emphasis on surgical autonomy and exposure to high-volume trauma cases affirmed my belief that this was the ideal place to develop and refine my skills as a surgeon. I am incredibly excited to call BCM Ortho home for the next 5 years.”

And we are so excited to have you here for the next five years, Dr. Swaminathan!

08/11/2025

Over the weekend, we hosted a Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) certification course with Owens Recovery Science for Houston area physical therapists! 🎉

Personalized BFR is a rehabilitation technique that involves applying a tourniquet to an exercising limb. This method can induce significant strength, hypertrophy, and endurance changes with very light loads. 💪

Physical therapists at Baylor Medicine are certified in this technique, which allows us to offer innovative and effective treatment options to help our patients achieve their recovery goals faster.

A big thank you to all who attended and helped make this a successful course!

08/07/2025

Congratulations to our BCM NF1 researchers!

Baylor College of Medicine has received a $575,000 grant from the U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command through the FY24 Neurofibromatosis Research Program.

This award will support a collaborative research effort led by Angela Bachim, MD, and Florent Elefteriou, PhD, focused on developing a radiation-free method to predict tibial dysplasia in children with NF1. The project aims to enable future clinical trials to prevent pseudoarthrosis and improve outcomes for pediatric patients.

08/05/2025

Time to meet our newest resident physicians! 🦴

Meet Benjamin Martin, MD, MBA.

Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania

Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh

Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine

Hobbies: Traveling, Skiing, Outdoor Sports (soccer, running, beach volleyball), Reality TV, Business & Healthcare

Interesting fact about Dr. Martin: He is a fraternal twin!

We are so excited to have you on board!

07/30/2025

We’re proud to announce Dr. Ahmed's secondary appointment to the Center for Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine — a global leader in space biomedical research and education.

“As an orthopaedic surgeon, collaborating and joining the faculty in the Center for Space Medicine is an exciting opportunity,” said Dr. Ahmed. “Advancing our understanding of the effects of microgravity and space flight on the musculoskeletal system is paramount to longer duration missions in space. I’m humbled to join and learn from this incredible group of researchers.”

Congratulations to Dr. Ahmed!