She may be five foot three and 110 pounds soaking wet, but Dr. Kathleen Weber of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) can get a 250-pound outfielder and 6′ 9″ forward to confide in her about their health concerns. Dr. Weber, a sports medicine physician, is one of just three female team physicians in Major League Baseball (MLB) and one of only two in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
She heads to the White Sox spring training on February 11 to begin pre-season physicals.
“I know this is hard to believe, but there can be an advantage to being a woman in a man’s world of professional sports,” Dr. Weber, team physician for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox admits. “Because I am a woman and a mom, some players feel more comfortable confiding in me about their struggles with injuries, asthma, high blood pressure and even depression.” Weber continues, “But when it comes down to it, being a good sports medicine physician is about skill, talent, experience, and not gender.”
When Dr. Weber first began working with the White Sox in 2004, it was the first time a female physician had walked into the White Sox locker room. In 2016, she was elected President of the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association (MLBTPA). She is the only woman to ever hold the title of president for this organization.
Dr. Weber has competed in an ultra-marathon and numerous marathons, including the Boston marathon. “I use my medical training and experience as a life-long athlete to help professional athletes who are at the top of their game,” she explains.
Besides her work as a team physician with the Bulls and White Sox, she’s head team physician for DePaul University and serves as physician for Hubbard Street Dance and is a member of the LPGA Medical Advisory Board. She also serves on the board of Girls in the Game and sees everyday athletes in her clinics in Chicago and Oak Park.
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