Carroll Gardens Kid Gets to be a Doctor for the Day

Nine-year-old Ethan Weitz, from Carroll Gardens, recently got to experience what it’s like to be a doctor for a day – with the official white coat and all.

Ethan broke his ulna during Labor Day weekend when he jumped off a swing while playing with a few other kids.

“As a parent it’s such a scary and stressful situation for both watching your child get hurt and the process of not knowing how long it will take and what will it mean,” Ethan’s mother Jessica told this paper. “Dr. [Cordelia] Carter [pediatric orthopedic surgeon who handled Ethan’s case, pictured] is unlike any doctor we’ve ever met. These were appointments that Ethan looked forward to – not just because his cast was coming off … but also because she treated him with so much respect and intelligence. ”

Since Ethan was inspired to learn more about the profession, Dr. Carter recently invited him to her office at NYU Langone’s Joan H. & Preston Robert Tisch Center at Essex Crossing. There she showed Ethan a hand and knee model so he could better understand a portion of the skeletal system that lies underneath our skin and muscles. Ethan also told the Star-Revue that he and Dr. Carter had some pretty interesting conversations about subjects including how fast a child’s arm grows and why his broken arm had more hair compared to his other arm. He noted that Dr. Carter spoke to him in a “nice way like a grown-up.”

Dr. Carter also showed him how to make and remove a cast for a break similar to what he had experienced. Ethan was beaming the entire time, and compassionately checked in periodically with his “patient,” a medical assistant, to make sure she was comfortable. He said his favorite part of the whole experience was learning how to put on the cast.

When the short arm cast was set, Dr. Carter and “Dr. Ethan Weitz” signed their names together in black Sharpie against the neon pink-colored fiberglass tape.

“I’m incredibly proud of Ethan for how involved he was as a patient,” Dr. Carter said. “He asked so many great questions, and really wanted to understand everything that was happening. I’m thrilled we were able to enjoy this cast-making activity together as a way to celebrate his recovery and a happy, healthy, and bright future!”

Ethan’s now back to playing all his favorite sports after a four-month-long healing process in a soft brace. He told us that, after having these experiences, he might want to become a doctor or even someone who makes medicine, like a pharmaceutical scientist, when he grows up.