Cheltenham High School has graduated many medical professionals over the years. We are highlighting three alumni-turned-physicians: Dr. Jonathan Oline, Dr. David Jaffe, and Dr. L. Scott Levin, each of whom have become prominent names in their respective fields.
Dr. Jonathan Oline, Class of 1975 (left)
Dr. Jonathan Oline is a cardiologist in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He received his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
Dr. Oline was featured by Philly Burbs for his medical work during the pandemic. From the article:
Following six weeks of military training and on leave from his cardiology practice, the doctor started a six-month tour of duty in a combat hospital in Mosul, Iraq, during the height of U.S. military operations there in 2007-08. He treated American military members, civilians and enemy combatants injured in the war. Since then, he has also served as a flight surgeon in a combat support hospital in Kuwait during another tour of the Middle East a few years ago.
This spring Oline worked on a different front line, when the Army was called to support hospitals overwhelmed with coroanvirus patients. He volunteered for the intensive care unit of John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. With his expertise in critical care, he knew he could be of use dealing with COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
Dr. Oline, who has served the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Station 21 as an active volunteer firefighter, was also featured by the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association for his experiences as an Army Reserve-Medical Officer.
From their article:
The daily life in Camp Arifjan could never be called a walk in the park. With the afternoon temperature rising to 115 degrees and the stress and tension levels are at a constant high in a “hazardous zone.” It is hard to even fathom what it takes to mentally and physically prepare deploy to an area like this. His primary responsibly was a Flight Surgeon who does the flight physicals for the army helicopter pilots and crew members. It required 24/7 duty to work closely with the Medical Regulating Officer (MRO) to clear all soldiers for MEDEVAC transportation out of theater.
Dr. David Jaffe, Class of 1973 (center)
Pediatric neurologist Dr. David Jaffe attended Lynnewood Elementary and Elkins Park Junior High School before attending Cheltenham High School.
According to local historian Chuck Langerman, Dr. Jaffe was a gymnast in high school and went on to assist with a program for emotionally disturbed children in Philadelphia. According to Chuck, he decided to matriculate at the Ringling Clown College in Venice, Florida.
After graduating from Clown College and working in the circus, he realized he wanted more in life, and began to think of becoming a doctor. He enrolled in college, went to Temple University Medical School, specialized in Neurology, and became a well-respected pediatric neurologist in the Richmond, Virginia area. Needless to say, he has found his clown training invaluable in working with children.
Dr. L. Scott Levin, Class of 1973 (right)
Dr. L. Scott Levin is a world-renowned surgeon. He is currently chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at Penn Medicine and the director of the Hand Transplant Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Levin is pictured above examining the hand of his eight-year-old patient Zion Harvey from Baltimore, Maryland. Zion developed a life-threatening infection at the age of two that required amputation of both his hands and his legs below the knee.
Dr. Levin, with the help of a team of surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists made world medical history when they performed the first-ever successful double-hand transplant operation on a pediatric patient in 2015.
According to The Times of Israel, the surgery had never even been attempted on a child before and lasted 11 hours. 40 medics assisted Dr. Levin, including 10 attending surgeons who performed various parts of the procedure. Zion, who now uses prosthetics for his feet, is elated that he will be able to eventually swing from the monkey bars, play with an iPad, lift his sister up, grip a football with two hands, and be able to live a more normal life thanks to Dr. Levin and his team at Penn Medicine.
For more on Dr. Levin, you can read this profile courtesy of The American College of Surgeons. You can also watch this Youtube video featuring Dr. Levin:
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Photos courtesy of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association, Children’s Hospital at VCU