When New York Knicks superstar Bernard King needed knee surgery in 1985, it was Dr. W. Norman Scott (M.D. ’72) who performed the complex procedure that saved King’s career. The operation, which was covered widely by the media, involved surgical techniques that were still in their infancy.
“The procedure worked very well for Bernard, and he is still the only NBA player who has ever returned to all-star status after a severe knee injury,” says Dr. Scott.
During his long medical career, Dr. Scott served as team physician for the Knicks (24 years) and the New York Rangers (eight years). He was also the team physician for the 1992 U. S. Men’s Olympic basketball team – also known as the “Dream Team” -- which included NBA players Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, among other stars.
Dr. Scott knew from the age of 10 that he wanted to become a physician. But it wasn’t until he arrived as a student at Weill Cornell Medical College – and worked with an orthopedic pathologist, performing bone biopsies on cadavers – that he decided to specialize in orthopedics.
He completed his residency at Hospital for Special Surgery, when knee replacements were in the “embryonic stage,” he says, and ligament surgery was done without an arthroscope. His mentor was Dr. John Insall, a world-renowned knee-replacement surgeon. In 1992, Dr. Scott and Dr. Insall co-founded the Insall Scott Kelly Institute for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine (ISK), a patient-care center with offices in Manhattan, Westchester and Long Island.
Dr. Scott remains at the forefront of orthopedic fellowship education. In 2001, in honor of Dr. Insall and his wife, Mary, Dr. Scott created the Insall Traveling Fellowship. Now in its 25th year, four national and international fellows are selected to spend one month traveling to seven sites throughout the United States, collaborating with physicians and professors.
During his busiest years, Dr. Scott, a clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at New York University, juggled his work as a team physician with surgery, teaching, writing and speaking at medical conferences. He has published more than 100 articles and 20 books and has taught nearly 100 orthopedic fellows through the ISK. He credits his success to his wife, Dr. Susan Craig Scott, a plastic and hand surgeon who was once the team physician for the New York Liberty and managed their household while raising their three children and running her own practice.
Dr. Scott’s family returned to Weill Cornell Medicine for Reunion 2024, when he was recognized with the 2023 Special Achievement Award for his contributions to medicine, an honor that he calls a “nice shock.”
Today’s medical students have many choices for their future careers, says Dr. Scott, but one thing remains critical: They need to be excited by whatever specialty they select. For Dr. Scott, the excitement has never faded.
“I’ve had a fun career,” he says. “That’s all anyone can ask for.”