Fox 19: Retired surgeon mentors UC medical students
The life and career of UC Professor Emeritus Alvin Crawford
The career of pediatric orthopedic surgeon Alvin Crawford spans decades and has impacted scores of patients across the globe. Crawford has operated and lectured in 44 countries, as told in his new book: “The Bone Doctor’s Concerto.”.
“I taught my kids to be into the MIDD generation,” which stands for motivation, integrity, dedication and desire, Crawford says in a Fox 19 segment about his life.
The book, published by the University of Cincinnati Press, chronicles Crawford’s life growing up in the Jim Crow south and, in 1960, becoming the first Black student to enroll at and graduate from the University of Tennessee’s medical school. From there, he went on to establish himself as an internationally renowned pediatric spine surgeon based out of Cincinnati Children's Hospial and is the founder and former director of the Crawford Spine Center at Children's.
The Fox 19 segment features Crawford and two of his former patients: Meera Kotagal, MD, who became a pediatric surgeon herself at Children’s, and David Collins of Dayton, Ohio.
Also featured is Abraham Araya, MD, a medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Araya is among approximately a dozen participants whom Crawford mentors in a new program Crawford started in 2020 called “Black Men in Medicine Cincinnati.”
"The Bone Doctor's Concerto" is available online, at Amazon and Joseph Beth Booksellers.
Featured image at top of Dr. Crawford. Photo/UC Marketing + Brand.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC co-op helps build career pathways at AtriCure
July 28, 2026
AtriCure, a global medical device company in Mason, Ohio, is UC’s largest biomedical engineering co-op employer, turning University of Cincinnati co-op students into full-time innovators.
CCM welcomes new musical theatre faculty member Avery Bargassé
July 28, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Avery Bargassé as CCM's new Assistant Professor Educator of Musical Theatre Voice. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2026. Bargassé is a versatile vocalist, recording artist and voice teacher whose career spans television, popular music and classical singing. He approaches teaching from a whole-person perspective, helping students develop healthy, flexible technique that supports expressive communication across styles.
UC doctoral student shares his journey with Spectrum News
July 27, 2026
UC doctoral student Amota Ataneka spoke with Spectrum News about his educational journey. Ataneka, a native of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, is one of 35 emerging scholars across the United States to win the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.