Extraordinary Alum in Profile
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Richard Gayle, M.D. (B.S. ’88), with a young patient in Uganda. |
OCCUPATION: Orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at Camino Medical Group in Sunnyvale, CA. He specializes in knee, shoulder and elbow arthroscopy and ligament reconstruction.
TEAM PHYSICIAN: Besides his regular practice, Gayle is an orthopedic team physician for the U.S. National Men’s Team and Junior Men’s Rugby Team, a medical staff assistant team physician for the Oakland Raiders and head team physician for a local high school.
INSPIRED BY SPORTS: Gayle played on Loyola’s soccer team for two years and still plays in a competitive local league. As an undergraduate, Gayle wanted to combine his interests in sports and healthcare. "I thought, ‘I’d love to be a sports medicine doctor.’ It was the right fit." He’s competed in eight 26.2-mile marathons.
PERIPATETIC PHYSICIAN: A native of England, he’s traveled with the U.S. National Rugby Team to the World Cup and Junior World Cup, as well as to England, Ireland, Samoa, Uruguay, Chile, France, South Africa, Italy and Canada. On one trip, he bested some rugby players at a casual game of table tennis and witnessed the extreme competitiveness of high-level athletes. "They didn’t like being beaten by the team doctor; I almost got thrown in the ocean!"
KEEPING HIS PERSPECTIVE: For the past two years, Gayle has volunteered as a guest lecturer and teaching surgeon for Orthopedics Overseas in Uganda, where he’s helping to establish an arthroscopy program. "One of the reasons I went into medicine was my interest in getting involved in international health. My work in Uganda is extremely rewarding. Just the simple things, like teaching someone to apply a cast for a broken bone, can go a long way and have a big impact. It gives me a sense of balance and puts things in perspective."
FAMILY LIFE: He and his wife, Shanti, also a physician, welcomed their first child, Zahra Jasmine Rosalie, in January.
INFLUENTIAL PROF: The late Leo Sweeney, S.J., professor of philosophy. "He developed many friendships with soccer players. A lot of us looked up to him; he was a big role model."
ADVICE FOR TODAY’S COLLEGE ATHLETE: "Use athletics to your advantage. Oftentimes, it’s considered an added load, but it can make you more disciplined and bring out more of you in other aspects of your life."
IN THE WORLD CUP, I ROOTED FOR: "The U.S.A., of course." Second choice? "England."
-Gail Mansfield