New AOSSM President: Dr. Robert Stanton

It takes a diplomat to run any organization…now, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) has one. Robert A. Stanton, M.D., the Chairman and Managing Partner of Orthopaedic Specialty Group, P.C. in Fairfield, Connecticut, has been installed as the 39^th president of the AOSSM. 

Dr. Stanton has served on multiple AOSSM committees, including the Board of Directors, Medical Publishing Board of Trustees and Council of Delegates. Dr. Stanton also holds membership in the Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS), Yale Orthopaedic Association (YOA), Fairfield County Medical Association (FCMA), the International Society for Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). 

After graduating from Williams College in 1968, Dr. Stanton completed Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1972. While in medical school, Dr. Stanton spent one year as the Edward John Noble fellow in the School of International Affairs at Columbia, allowing him to pursue his longtime passion in international diplomacy. He was a surgical intern and resident at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center from 1972 to 1974.  Dr. Stanton completed his orthopaedic residency at Yale University in 1977. 

Dr. Stanton is the Clinical Instructor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, and serves as Senior Attending Physician at Bridgeport Hospital and as staff at St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Fairfield Surgery Center. He is Team Physician for Fairfield University’s athletic teams, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers hockey team and the Bridgeport Bluefish baseball team. Early in his career, Dr. Stanton served as a physician to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. He has been a team physician for the U.S. National Ski Team since that time. He is also a member of the medical pool for USA Gymnastics. 

Dr. Stanton told OTW,

My goal is to maintain the tradition of acting as a steward of our society. We will continue to promote the STOP campaign. The society has enjoyed significant growth and I plan to hold a strategic planning meeting at our spring Board meeting, so that we can consolidate what we have achieved and plan for our future growth and where we will go as an organization and professional specialty. My hope for the future is that we can positively influence young kids (and adults as well) to prevent injury. The future of sports medicine is biology, not technology. I expect significant developments that will allow sports physicians to heal soft tissue and cartilaginous injuries using biologic, not surgical solutions.