Gregory Leather, MD

I chose a career in medicine because it gives me the opportunity to learn new things every day. Orthopaedics is a great fit for me. I was into sports in high school and college, so it felt natural to go into sports medicine. Orthopaedics appealed to me because I like getting an immediate response from my patients and seeing immediate results. In orthopaedics, you take something that's broken, and you help to fix it, and your patient can return to their sport or other activities.

My approach is to educate my patients about the problems underlying their symptoms and the options that they have. I listen to their impressions and allow them time to describe their symptoms in their own words. I also prefer to examine the patient before I share my interpretation of their X-rays or other scans. Then I show them these images so that they understand them well. I also allow them time to explain their background and where they come from. I give them my reasoning for why I would lean one way or another in their particular case.

A good outcome is when a patient who had a surgical procedure done on their knee comes back to talk to you about their shoulder. Or they come back with a friend who needs similar care.