Doctor of Champions Tells Trade Tales

The surgeon who treats star New England professional athletes like Curt Schilling and Tom Brady shared his experiences in the medical profession in a visit to Harvard yesterday.

Thomas J. Gill ’85, a team physician for the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and Boston Red Sox, and a surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, offered his words of wisdom to a group of undergraduates, many of whom aspire to forge medical careers of their own.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘What is it that you’re passionate about?’” Gill said. “[Medicine] is not Chem 20—it’s a people business. If you like [to help people], it’s the greatest field in the world.”

Considering his atypical practice, the discussion inevitably turned to his relationship with professional athletes.

“Everyone in the organizations—I view them as my responsibility,” he said. “I not only take care of the players, but I set up a system where, whatever they need [medically], they can come to me.”

According to Gill, it’s important that he treat the players like any other patients.

“The second you start treating Johnny Damon as a player and not a person with an [injury] is the time when, as a team doctor, you run into trouble,” he said.

Noting that his obligation is to his patients rather than public pressure, Gill said that his responsibility on the issue of steriods should not go beyond educating the players about the effects of medical supplements.

“My job is not to be a watchdog,” he said.

Beyond focusing on the particulars of his career path, Gill stressed the importance of finding a mentor on the road to becoming a doctor.

“Get a role model,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a formal type of thing—just someone to bounce ideas off when things are tough in class.”

His words about the process, and rewards, of becoming a doctor resonated with members of the audience.

“It’s nice to hear someone who made it,” said Gavitt A. Woodard ’06, a member the Harvard Pre-Medical Society, which organized the speech. “It reminds you of why you are doing it in the first place.”

The crowd of 15 also tapped into Gill for information about applying to medical school.

“Pick a medical school based on how well they prepare you to be a doctor,” said Gill, who believes the school’s location and relationship with hospitals are also important factors.

Eugenie Shieh ’06, president of the pre-med society, said she was proud to provide Gill as a resource for students.

“He does amazing things, so you just wanted to get a feel for what he does and how he got involved,” she said.

Although Gill said he believes in taking advantage of opportunities as they arise, he also believes success in becoming a doctor partly depends on having no regrets for professional decisions.

“When you make your decision, make your decision and be happy with it,” Gill said. “If you start comparing your life [in residency] to your buddy who’s an analyst on Wall Street, you’re not going to be the happiest person in the world.”