2 professional athletes find 2nd careers as orthopedic surgeons
Orthopedic surgery and sports medicine specialists Michael Stuart, MD, and Bradley Kruckeberg, MD, currently serve as team physicians for Minnesota State University athletic teams, but the two used to have athletic careers of their own, according to an Oct. 18 report from The Free Press.
Drs. Stuart and Bradley serve as surgeons at Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague, Minn., during the day and work with MSU athletes at night.
Dr. Stuart’s background is in professional hockey, playing at Colorado College before spending 10 years with the St. Louis Blues and teams in Austria and Norway. During his hockey career, he suffered an estimated 30 orthopedic injuries, according to the report.
Dr. Kruckeberg grew up playing football, and continued to play at Gustavus Adolphus College as a defensive back and team captain.
The duo met in medical school at the University of Minnesota, did their residencies at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and completed fellowships at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., where they frequently treated skiing and snowboarding injuries.
Today, the two specialize in hip arthroscopy and knee osteotomy at Mayo.