Dr. Basem Attum is an orthopedic surgeon. As a medical student and resident, Attum struggled with addiction. His medical career was interrupted, and nearly ended, by an painkiller addiction. He ended up living in a halfway house for two years. Once he got clean, Attum didn’t know how he’d repay his medical debt or be a functioning citizen. He got a second chance at a professional career when the orthopedic team at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center let him volunteer writing papers for a year.
It was a rare opportunity for someone in recovery. He calls it a miracle. Today, Attum specializes in family medicine, surgery, and orthopedist surgery.