Seeing Double at Coastal Orthopedics with Dr. Alan and Dr. Arthur Valadie

Some people say they tell them apart by the shape of their faces. Other people say one is a tiny bit taller or the hair is a little different. And still other people say they “just know.” Whatever the method, it definitely can be a challenge to tell Dr. Alan Valadie and Dr. Arthur Valadie apart.

The identical twins are both physicians with Coastal Orthopedics – Alan is a joint replacement specialist, and Arthur is a sports medicine specialist and the physician president of the group.

Growing up in Tampa, Alan and Arthur were in the same class from first to seventh grade. Both were drawn to science.

From eighth grade through high school, they were in different classes, but after graduation, they went to Florida State University together on a pre-med track to study biology. There, they had about half of their classes together.

“I never wanted my brother to show me up in sports or academics,” said Alan, who played football and swam in high school. “Our GPAs were just a couple hundredths of a point different, but Arthur beat me in college and high school by that slim margin.”

But Arthur is quick to add that he didn’t “win” on all counts.

“Alan sailed through organic chemistry, and I struggled,” Arthur said. “It was my only ‘B’ in college.”

The pair stuck together in medical school, attending the University of Florida where they had their first two years of classes together before clinical rotations. They were roommates in Gainesville, too, and they played on the same intramural football team and studied in the same group.

After UF, Arthur completed his residency at Emory University and then a fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. Alan completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the Carolinas Medical Center Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

At Coastal Orthopedics, where Alan has worked for 19 years and Arthur has worked for 18 years, the two collaborate on clinical work, getting advice and bouncing ideas for cases off each other.

“But we stagger our times here at the office so it doesn’t cause confusion,” Arthur said. “If people see us individually, it’s hard to tell us apart, but if people see us together, they can usually tell. Patients confuse us all the time.”

Alan’s best guess is that there are five sets of twins in the country who are orthopedic surgeons.

“You see siblings and husband-and-wife teams, but it’s rare to see twins,” Alan said.

And the similarities don’t end at the office. Alan and Arthur both have three children. Alan has two boys and a girl, and Arthur has two boys and a girl.

“My 16-year-old son is interested in medicine,” Alan said. “He was a summer assistant here and volunteers in the emergency room.”

For patients of Alan or Arthur, things may be getting even more challenging as time goes on.

“We’re trending toward looking more like each other as we get older,” Alan said.

But there might be one fail-safe method to tell the two doctors apart.

“Alan is a snazzier dresser,” Arthur said. “Not my typical t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops.”