This article originally appeared in Connections, a magazine
published for physicians and the community by UMass Memorial Medical
Center.
For complex shoulder problems,
patients can look to an orthopedic surgeon who brings a depth of knowledge in
science as well as clinical care.
Mark Price, MD, PhD, joined UMass Memorial Medical Center in September 2009
following an orthopedics sports medicine fellowship at Massachusetts General
Hospital, where he also completed his residency in orthopedic surgery. In
addition to an MD from Harvard Medical School, his extensive background includes
a PhD in medical physics from MIT and a postdoctoral fellowship in biomedical
imaging research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to do good work around great people," Dr.
Price said about his move to UMass Memorial. "Together, we are bringing UMass
Memorial to the forefront of what is happening in shoulder and sports
injuries."
Surprisingly, Dr. Price entered medical school wanting to be a cardiac
surgeon. "But third year I did an orthopedics elective," he said. "I was blown
away by how patients went from being wheelchair-bound to walking 18 holes of
golf. It was awe inspiring how patients got their quality of life back and were
so appreciative. I fell in love with the specialty."
This commitment translates into well-honed surgical expertise. "While there
was a well-established shoulder program before I arrived, I am taking on some
next-level procedures," he explained. "These include advanced techniques to
stabilize shoulders that continue to pop out after multiple arthroscopic
procedures, as well as procedures to resolve massive rotator cuff tears not
helped by arthroscopic surgery. I am also performing newer surgical techniques
for dealing with severe shoulder arthritis with rotator cuff tears."
Dr. Price is equally committed to working closely with referring physicians.
"In a complicated case, it makes no sense to think that a 30-minute office visit
will give me a true sense of what is best when the PCP has known the patient for
decades," he said. "It is invaluable to pick up the phone and talk to the
referring physician, and that is what I do."
Questions and referrals: 508-793-5327