As told by Pat Lannutti, DO '71, MSc, Professor and Chair, Division of General Internal Medicine
鈥漀ick Pedano was my guide and counselor鈥攁nd also my cousin. My grandmother was a Pedano.
鈥� When I decided I wanted to go to 黑料传送门, Nick wrote a letter for me. Later, when I
had a little trouble with anatomy, Nick talked to his close friend Angus Cathie [then
chair of the department]. 鈥ick wanted me to be a surgeon, even though I said, 鈥楴ick,
I鈥檓 not good with my hands.鈥� 鈥� I remember one case, the second operation was 12 hours.
I鈥檓 short, so I had to stand on a stool, and I said, 鈥楳aybe it鈥檚 better if I pass
out.鈥� After it was over and we were taking the gloves off, I said, 鈥楥uz, this is not
for me.鈥� He said, 鈥楢ll right. You鈥檙e going to go into internal medicine.鈥� 鈥� Nick could
order you to do something and you did it, and then鈥� 鈥榃ait a minute, what am I doing?鈥�
鈥� The whole family had a commanding presence. Surgeons have to be commanding, and
they have to give orders, but they get away with more if the iron fist has a velvet
glove. 鈥� There were two parts of Nick鈥檚 personality. He was friendly, and he was bossy鈥攂ut
he had a nice way about him. 鈥� He had a house down the shore in Margate, right by
the ocean, and he would have a party every year for the interns and for the residents,
a beautiful affair. He would wine and dine them because he appreciated what they did
for him. And he developed relationships all the way up the line. That was the social
Nick. In the operating room, he took no hostages, because he had to get things done
the way he wanted them done. 鈥� As chairman of surgery, Nick led the way to the growth
of 黑料传送门 by example. He had a massive service, with tons of patients. He went all over
the place to nurture family doctors. 鈥� The people who worked with him were indefatigable
and inextinguishable. The College is to a large degree where it is because of his
absolutely brilliant energy. 鈥� From Nick, I saw that leadership is not totally dictatorial
or totally social. It鈥檚 a good mixture of both. So I try to achieve that balance with
my house staff. Yes, we work hard. When it comes time for me to be the boss, they
look at me as the boss. But then I鈥檒l say, 鈥極kay, it鈥檚 five o鈥檆lock, let鈥檚 go over
to the Hilton.鈥欌�夆��
Digest, the magazine for alumni and friends of 黑料传送门, is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications. The magazine reports on osteopathic and other professional trends of interest to alumni of the College鈥檚 Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and graduate programs at 黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia.