From the moment orthopedic surgeon Lawrence Weber and his wife, Sennur, visited Lake Charles, La., they knew they had found what they were looking for. A New York City native, Weber grew weary of cold winters and longed for warm weather. Sennur, who hails from Turkey, missed the sunny shores of her homeland. With Sennur's vocation as a French pastry chef, the couple knew that they had to land in a place with great food. They found both in Calcasieu Parish.

 

A New Yorker through and through, Weber received his Bachelor of Science in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Tory, New York, and Doctor of Philosophy in pharmacology from Weil Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences/Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Then, he earned his medical degree from Weil Cornell University Medical College in the Big Apple. Afterwards, he completed his general surgery internship at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Hyde Park, N.Y., and his orthopedic surgery residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/NSUH—LIJ Health Care System.

 

During his residency, Weber decided to focus on surgery and reconstructive microsurgery of the hand and upper extremity. "I just was really fascinated by surgery of the hand," he said. "I find the intricacy of the hand very interesting. It's a very small space and, sometimes, requires microscopic surgery." He completed orthopedic fellowships in both shoulder/elbow and hand surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health Care System in Philadelphia, Pa. In 2006, he was awarded the prestigious American Society for Surgery of the Hand's Joseph H. Boyes Award.

 

Following his extensive training, Weber started his job search in August, focusing on a southern location with water access and great food. He and Sennur were married nine years ago in New Orleans, their favorite city, and decided to find a place close by. Weber also liked the climate for surgery in Louisiana. "It is very good for surgeons," he said. "It's not really contentious, in terms of malpractice and people filing frivolous suits against doctors that you find in a lot of other cities."

 

After visiting Lake Charles, the Webers were impressed by the different types of architecture, activities and restaurants. "We really liked the food, because food is important to us," Weber said. "Lake Charles also had all of these different things that a nice, close-knit community would have, like the symphony, plays, cultural events and Mardi Gras." The couple was fortunate to find a home on the waterfront, allowing them to enjoy their shared interest in fishing.

 

Another factor luring them to Lake Charles was the people. "We really loved everyone that we met – I have never been welcomed or treated in such a way, even when they didn't know we were coming here," Weber said. As an example, he referred to an incident when Sennur was standing behind four people in the checkout line at Cormie's, a popular local convenience store and food establishment. The gentlemen stepped aside to let her go first. "The southern hospitality that you hear about truly exists here," he observed.

 

In Imperial Calcasieu, Weber found a home at Orthopaedic Specialists, located at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. He joined Drs. Nathan Cohen, David Drez, Jr., Alfred Cardet, Brett Cascio and Dennis Walker this September. As a manual specialist – one of only a handful in the area – he had patients from all over South Louisiana waiting for surgery on his first day of work. "I do everything in the adult hand, from carpal tunnel and trigger finger release surgery all the way to revascularizing a hand that someone might have cut in half with a table saw," he said. "If you break it or cut it from the elbow to the fingertip, then I'll fix it."