But whoever the patient is, the reward for a physician is to see improvement. Patients really appreciate your help. Dr. Rusty Linton, orthopedic surgeon for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, says that he, too, feels a great satisfaction is seeing an injured player recover. I operated on Kevin Bouie, and I was thrilled that he scored three touchdowns his first game back after surgery. An additional challenge, Linton believes, is to go even a step further in trying to prevent injuries.
Sports medicine is a changing field.
There's new knowledge nearly every day. I try to keep current with changes and to anticipate. We would wish that we could prevent injuries entirely to take the steps that keep players from having the kinds of injuries that stop careers. For pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Warner Jr., the thrill is seeing a child get back on his feet. In addition to his duties at Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Warner also is chief of orthopedics for the Mississippi Crippled Children's Service, the state's program for indigent children.