Ask James O’Dell, MD, about his career at UNMC, and the first thing he mentions is his mentor Michael Sorrell, MD.
Ask David O’Dell, MD, about his UNMC career, and 10 words in, he is telling you about LeeRoy Meyer, MD.
Perhaps it is the attention they paid to their mentors, and the obvious affection both still feel for them, that helped the O’Dell brothers carve such impactful careers at UNMC themselves.
Both brothers have been so impactful, in fact, that on June 6, the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine will recognize Dr. James O’Dell with its Lifetime Achievement Award in Research, and, in a separate ceremony, bestow upon Dr. David O’Dell its Lifetime Achievement Award in Education.
“Jim and Dave O’Dell have had a remarkable, lasting, positive influence on the department of internal medicine, UNMC and the wider medical community,” said Mark Rupp, MD, interim chair of the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine. “Both are very deserving of the special lifetime achievement recognition they are receiving. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had both of them at UNMC, and I’m pleased they have been able to realize their career aspirations in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine.
“Congratulations and bravo to the O’Dell brothers – they make us proud.”
The Lifetime Achievement Research Award, which highlights the recipient’s extensive scientific contributions at UNMC and nationally, has been given only four times. Past recipients are Stephen Rennard, MD (2020), Lynell Klassen, MD (2019), James Armitage, MD (2014), and Denham Harman, MD, PhD (2006).
The Lifetime Achievement Education Award has been given only once before, to Gerald “Jay” Moore, MD, in 2021.
Dr. James O’Dell’s research focus includes clinical trials in rheumatoid arthritis and gout, clinical trial design, predicting response to therapy in RA and value-based care for RA. He developed a large clinical research network, the Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigational Network, that specialized in investigator-initiated clinical trials. He has won numerous awards.
Dr. David O’Dell’s educational resume includes multiple teaching awards, including the American College of Physicians’ Mastership and Dr. Jane F. Desforges Distinguished Teaching awards. Dr. O’Dell’s teaching encompasses a broad scope, including the classroom, small group settings, the clinic exam room and the inpatient bedside; he also served as the clerkship director for internal medicine for 27 years.
After recognizing their mentors, the O’Dells talked about one another.
“Jim has travelled the world, because he literally is one of the experts in the world in his area,” David said. “In addition to being internationally known, he has written the guidelines on the national level on how to take care of rheumatoid arthritis.”
“We come from a family of teachers, so it’s no surprise that Dave has excelled in teaching,” James said. “He was the first Educator Laureate Award winner at UNMC, and he was one of the first to have an ‘orchard,’ which is more than seven Golden Apples (teaching awards given by third- and fourth-year medical students). This means he can’t win anymore, so others can have a chance.”
When they had no option, they did talk about themselves – a little.
After beginning his career in basic research, Jim discovered his passion was more directly connected to patients and moved into clinical research.
“My experience in the laboratory, doing experiments, getting the data together and finding an answer for something nobody else had looked into before, that was pretty cool. But to take that to the patient level… The disease that I’ve been mostly studying for my career is rheumatoid arthritis. Today we can do things for patients we’ve never been able to do before. If you get rheumatoid arthritis today, you should have essentially a normal life. The average expectancy for your ability to work after you got rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in the early 1980s was five years. We were able to make that impact because of research we did, largely through the RAIN network – find treatment strategies and promote effective drugs therapies.
“It’s been quite a ride.”
For David, medical education followed his move into medicine in what he sees as an organic evolution.
“If you really look at it, all physicians are teachers,” he said. “That’s important, to be able to explain to patients what’s going on. Making the decision to teach medical students, that had a lot to do with finding where I could use the skills I was given.
“Being able to assess someone’s kidneys, their heart, their lungs and integrate all – being competent in a wide range – is critically important for this generalist education that we’re building in medical students.
“I took a leadership course once, and they said, ‘You can motivate everyone for a while. But what you really want are people who are motivated internally.’ And I hope I’ve inspired that in my students.”
David said he hopes his students remember him as a “reasonable” role model.
“I hope that, as an educator, I’ve taught that you convey compassion for your patients, that you are a critical thinker, that you are willing to discuss challenging topics, and that, recognizing when you don’t know what you don’t know, that you may not know the answer, but you try to find it. It all starts with making sure that you’re taking care of your patients. Even as an educator, you got to be in the trenches. And you are a lifelong student – you have to be rooted in current medical practice, or you’re not going to be relevant.”
Jim hopes that the researchers he’s worked with and mentored choose to follow their passion.
“A lot of people in the research world, it can be difficult to get funded for your grants and to get your studies up and running. And of course, people talk about how difficult the times are now, and they are, but they’ve always been difficult. But at the end, if you aren’t following your passion, you’re not going to be very successful, and certainly you’re not going to be successful in your own mind. My passion has always been my patients. So, I’ve always tried to ask important questions from the patient’s perspective.
“It’s also incredibly important to build networks. Nobody’s going to do anything important in research, certainly clinical research, without networks. And networks are all about relationships, and relationships are really what makes the whole thing fun anyway.”
James O’Dell, MD, will receive the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Research on June 6 at internal medicine’s grand rounds at noon. Other awards will be bestowed, as well.
David O’Dell, MD, will receive the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Education on June 6 at the internal medicine residency banquet at 6 p.m. at the Livestock Exchange Building. Other awards also will be bestowed.
Maria Ball of UNMC Department of Internal Medicine communications contributed to this article.
Wonderful achievement and well deserved by both! On a personal note – David O’Dell has been a phenomenal mentor and friend and has inspired me to be an engaging and holistic educator. I am grateful for his guidance and leadership. Congratulations!!
Congratulations to both of the Drs O’Dell. UNMC has been so fortunate to have your contributions and expertise over the years.
Proud of you, Dave!
Congratulations to both of you- wonderful role models, and great people as well!
UNMC and the state of Nebraska are so lucky to have this Dynamic Duo impacting the lives and health of patients, clinicians and students.
Congratulations, Drs. O’Dell! You are two of my heroes in academic medicine. Thanks for all you’ve done for me personally — and for thousands of others!
What an honor to know and work with you both. The symmetry of the awards and the same date of recognition hasn’t escaped me either. Congratulations!!
I have known Jim and Dave for over 45 years. I met both of them while working at Dr Michael Sorrell’s Liver Study Unit. They both are so deserving of these awards. They have been amazing physicians, mentors to so many, and always willing to go above and beyond to help a friend. Congratulations Dave and Jim. I am honored to know such amazing friends.
Congratulations on your award Drs. O’Dell!
Congrats to Dave and Jim! Very well deserved!
The O’Dell boys are truly legendary figures at UNMC. For as good as they are as physicians, they are even better human beings. They are the nicest guys you could ever meet. Congrats, Jim and Dave. You two are the best of the best!
Congratulations to both Jim and Dave O’Dell!! Outstanding award and more than deserved. I had the pleasure of working with them during my tenure at UNMC (1970-2020).
Congratulations men of great knowledge, integrity, and compassion!
Your honors are well deserved.
Congrats O’Dell brothers. I feel so lucky to know Dr. Jim!
Congrats Dr. Dave. Thank you for all your hardwork and dedication to humans and their health challenges.
Congratulations to the Drs. O’Dell, for making such amazing marks on the medical training and care of this community. Thank you! The O’Dell legacy at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine is incredibly strong.
In today’s world of instant fame seekers, it is so uplifting to hear of such commitment to the training and mentoring of our medical students, residents, nurses and PA’s. It is what made a life in academic medicine (surg onc in my case) an incomparable career. Kudos
E. Silva, MD, PhD, FACS, FSSO
Professor, Emeritus
UNMC
Congratulations Gentlemen!! It is always a pleasure working with each of you with hopefully more to come!! thanks for your dedication and service to UNMC and Nebraska Medicine
I grew up with the O’Dell family. That glow of greatness was evident at an early age. I am proud to know them and consider them good friends. Congratulations to you both on a life well done. Well deserved.
A great tribute to the legendary O’Dell brothers! Many thanks to both of you for a lifetime of contributions to UNMC😀😀.
So very proud of my brothers! Congratulations Jim and Dave!
I’m grateful to have studied under these special teachers.
Congratulations to you both and thank you for your enduring dedication to the profession and all of its facets and your dedication to UNMC, the institution which my late husband cherished and which I still do. Wonderful news!
Congratulations, Jim and Dave for the well-deserved awards!
So incredibly proud of both of my “little” brothers!
Congratulations Jim and Dave!!!
Congratulations to you both – these awards are so well-deserved! You have inspired countless doctors to be curious, to deeply care for their patients, and to hold themselves to high standards – that legacy will love on for decades to come. Thank you also for personally mentoring and supporting me – my career would not be same without both of you!
Congratulations to both. Well deserved for your lifetime dedication to UNMC,