Thomas Merchant, MD, FAAOS
Orthopedic Surgeon with focus in Sports Medicine
Roseville Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine
Roseville, CA
Member Since: 1991
If you were mentoring a new member, what important advice would you give them as they progress in their career?
Try to decide what about practicing orthopedics and medicine is important to you and set goals accordingly. Be aware that these may change. However, always respect the trust people are putting in us as physicians and surgeons when they seek our help and treat them how we would want to be treated. This is often hard with time and/or financial pressures seemingly ever increasing. It’s easy to put too much importance on case volume or income.
What aspect of retirement surprised you the most?
No real surprises. I had been warned that the ample free time I thought I would have would be surprisingly limited. That said, much of that time is taken by activities of my choice, many of which are fun. I was also not surprised that I miss many aspects of orthopedic surgery: problem solving, connecting with patients, staff and colleagues, and performing surgery. One surprise: hip OA and then THA! Its not practical, but one could argue we should all undergo a surgery that we perform on our patients.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
Backcountry skiing, hiking, tennis, mountain biking, guitar, learning Spanish, volunteering, and trying to do something about climate change.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
In college, I was a teaching assistant for a sub-tidal ecology class that included three to seven dives a week. Getting paid for something like that was great, but more importantly, it was where I met my wife.