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Eric Egan Johnson, M.D. has been an important part of the AO ASIF organization for many years. Currently President of AO North America, Eric has been involved in at least fifteen AO ASIF courses, either as a faculty member or as Chairman. He has recently been nominated to serve a second five year term as an AO Foundation Trustee.
Eric was born and raised in Salt Lake City and takes pride in his family heritage, as his ancestors were among the first pioneers in the Utah territory. His great-great-grandfather, Major Howard Egan (the source of Eric’s middle name) was the first Pony Express rider into the Utah Territory.
The toughness exemplified by Eric’s ancestors must have manifested itself in Eric’s academic prowess, as he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah. He was then immediately accepted into the University of Utah College of Medicine. Initially, Eric planned to specialize in plastic surgery, but he became disillusioned during his general surgery internship (maybe it was doing bowel cases in the middle of the night, five nights in a row!).
He decided to pursue orthopaedics instead, largely because most of his friends had gone into this specialty as well. Eric was accepted into the orthopaedic residency program at UCLA, which was a far cry from his home in Utah. Los Angeles was a bit of a shock, as he had rarely traveled out of the Utah vicinity. Two nights into his residency, Eric was assigned to trauma call. He had zero orthopaedic experience and he had never applied a cast. Rumor has it that UCLA went through about 100 pounds of plaster that night.
As Chief Resident, Eric was the first UCLA resident selected to participate in an AO Fellowship. He was assigned to Hannover, Germany, leaving the 70° Los Angeles sunshine for the frigid overcast of Hannover. Eric has fond memories of his spartan accommodations on the seventh floor of Haus G, and of learning from "the master", Professor Harold Tscherne.
Upon his return from Hannover, Eric accepted a faculty position at UCLA, where he has been ever since. He was appointed to Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1995, and his regional and worldwide reputation for trauma expertise has continued to grow.
Eric and his wife, Kathy, have two daughters, Erica (age 7) and Alexis (age 15). One of Eric’s hobbies is collecting and restoring classic cars (including a 1958 fuel-injected Corvette and a Cobra). In addition to burning petroleum, Eric enjoys skiing, golfing and biking. He recently purchased a vacation home in Deer Valley, Utah, where he has a view of three of the 2002 Olympic ski runs.
Eric has deep friendships with many people within the AO ASIF organization. His surgical skills, his passion and his commitment to the improvement of trauma care have made him a distinguished member of the AO and a valuable contributor to the AO North America Foundation.