-
Featured News
In the Loop: Orthopedic physicians see music as medicine
Share this:
For Elvis Francois, M.D., singing is as natural as breathing. One recent video of him singing has gone viral, earning Dr. Francois a new nickname — and a lot of new fans.
[Photo above: Drs. Francois and Robinson on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.]
When Elvis Francois, M.D., posted a video of himself singing Mike Yung's "Alright" to his social media accounts, he hoped it would "give people a bit of motivation and another reason to smile in the day," he tells us. It's safe to say he's accomplished that goal. With more than 2 million views and over 32,000 shares, the clip — which features fellow orthopedic resident William A. Robinson, M.D., on piano — seems to have struck a (ahem) chord with people. And it's earned Dr. Francois, a resident in orthopedic surgery at Mayo Clinic, a fitting nickname from some media outlets covering the story: the singing surgeon. "It's been surreal," Dr. Francois says of going viral. "People from Haiti have been calling my dad, asking, 'Hey, did you see your son?'"
Dr. Francois traces his love of music back to his father, and his interest in medicine back to Haiti. "My dad is tone deaf but he always had a passion for music, and that was contagious," the good doctor tells us. Medicine was a bug he caught visiting relatives in Haiti, including an uncle who was a physician. "Seeing the effect he had on so many people's lives made me want to do that, too," Dr. Francois tells us. Another trip to Haiti, this one after the devastating 2010 earthquake, inspired him to specialize in orthopedic surgery. "I saw broken people being put back together, and I knew that's what I wanted to do," he says. Read the rest of the story.
___________________________
This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.
