Best places to practice medicine

Best sports cities for physicians to live and practice: Explore great relocation options for doctors who love sports, from Boston and South Carolina to Indianapolis and Los Angeles.

Boston, Massachusetts

If you’re looking for a historic, easy to navigate town and unarguably one of the sports capitals of the United States, Boston may make your short list. It is home to five major professional sports franchises: the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and Revolution. Professional sports entertainment is found in Boston year-round, including collegiate football, basketball, hockey, soccer, cross country, rowing, fencing, track and field and more.

“I think it’s rare to be in a city where you may have multiple Super Bowl winners, World Series championships, Stanley Cup winners and the NBA finals. Every team is so successful,” says Marie Walcott, MD. 

Walcott grew up 20 minutes outside of Boston. As an athlete in high school and college, she saw numerous friends get injured but who wouldn’t see a physician for fear of being told they would have to stop participating. She knew there had to be a better solution. 

“As a physician, how would I address where the athlete really is with their injury? What can I do to get them through the season? How can people get the care they want but not always have the answer to stop what they are doing? That is what started me to go into medicine,” she says.

Walcott earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University and attended medical school at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester. She completed residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Massachusetts. 

Today, Walcott is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder surgery, including arthroscopy, replacement and treatment for rotator cuff tears, instability and arthritis. She is an orthopedic surgeon for Tufts Medical Center Orthopedic and Spine in Reading, Massachusetts. She also serves as chief of orthopedic surgery at MelroseWakefield Hospital in Melrose, Massachusetts, situated just outside of Boston.

MelroseWakefield Hospital is a key part of Tufts Medicine and a network that combines community hospitals with Tufts Medical Center for comprehensive care. 

MelroseWakefield Hospital is a 234-bed general hospital offering a wide range of services including cardiac care, 24-hour emergency care, wound care management and maternity services with an on-site Level II special care nursery. 

Boston is a hub of medical organizations, and practice options exist outside city limits as well. 

John Podkowa, DO, is executive chief of primary care at Southcoast Health, a nonprofit, community-based health system in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It operates hospitals in Fall River (Charlton Memorial), New Bedford (St. Luke’s) and Wareham (Tobey). All three hospitals are about an hour out of Boston. 

“Southcoast has grown incredibly to help serve communities. It has a depth of care that it provides,” Podkowa says. 

Podkowa, an internist, attended St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, and earned his medical degree at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania. He was chief resident in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. He’d planned to major in political science with a journalism minor. He switched to medicine after he and his friend were hit by an intoxicated driver while riding their bikes. “I was so impressed by the care we received in the hospital, and I was always interested in helping people, which is why I was interested in government. Medicine was a new world to me,” says Podkowa.

From walking the Freedom Trail to visiting Fenway Park or sailing in Boston Harbor, Boston is an excellent place for physicians to live and work.

Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson is a picturesque town whose identity revolves around Clemson University. Undeniably, Clemson is Tiger Town with strong school pride and spirited traditions. Situated in upstate South Carolina, the university campus has gorgeous surroundings such as the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Hartwell. 

There is more to do in Clemson than just college sports. There are some terrific hikes in the vicinity that include mountain views. You may choose to explore one of the waterfalls, discover nearby small towns or visit a state park. 

If you’re a fall festival fan, you’re in luck! Every September, Clemson hosts festivals such as Clemson Festival of Arts, where you find music, crafts, art and cuisine. You can also purchase fresh food from the Clemson Farmer’s Market. 

Keith Gettys, MD, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for Shriners Children’s Greenville, which is about 40 minutes from Clemson. Although Gettys lives in Greenville, he is no stranger to the Clemson commute. “My mother is the biggest Clemson fan you will probably ever meet. She has season tickets to almost all the sporting events and my family will attend some of them as well,” he says. 

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Shriners has been devoted to providing high-quality specialty medical care since 1922 regardless of the family’s ability to pay or insurance status.

Gettys says Shriners Children’s Greenville offers him a good work/life balance. “We don’t have an ER, so most of our surgeries are scheduled, electives and clinics,” he says. “The job allows me to work hard but I’m also off some weekends and with my family. A lot of days, I’m home and I enjoy making dinner.”

Stephanie Phillips, MD, is a family medicine physician at CenterWell Spartanburg. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed her residency at the University of Tennessee Erlanger Hospital System. 

Like Gettys, Phillips lives in Greenville, about 45 minutes from Clemson. She loves the area. “I like the location because it’s pretty close to the beach—three hours away. It’s an hour and a half to the mountains. We’ve got the foothills closer, probably 30 minutes away. There’s a lot of hiking and there’s so much to do. They have great schools, which is another thing we were looking for when we came here,” she says.

Indianapolis, Indiana

If you’re looking for a vibrant sports scene along with a high quality of life with a cost of living below the national average, consider Indianapolis.

This major sports hub is home to the Colts, Pacers and Fever, soccer, hockey, volleyball and more. It’s also home to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) headquarters and other national sports organizations—plus, of course, the Indy 500.

As a senior physician recruiter for Indiana University Riley Children’s Health, Kathryn Coble-Reese knows Indianapolis well. “Indianapolis is an all-around great sports hub,” she says. “There’s a multitude of different sports leagues and teams throughout the region.”

Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Riley Children’s Health. Riley Children’s Health is Indiana’s largest pediatric system, with over 50 locations. They have the only pediatric research hospital in the state, and are consistently ranked as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country. 

“What I think makes Riley Children’s Hospital special is that all of the people here are collegial, collaborative and have midwestern warmth,” says DeBosch. “It’s really that combination. In addition, the patients are quite loyal to the hospital. The patient population has a name for themselves, and I have never seen that before. They call themselves ‘Riley kids.’ To me, that speaks volumes to name yourself after the hospital where you received your care.” 

DeBosch says Indianapolis has all the amenities of a major city with a top-notch airport and a medium-size feel. “Indianapolis is a perfect blend to live, work and play,” he says.

Los Angeles, California

If relocating to a premier sports hub is high on your list and you love the excitement of a major city, Los Angeles should be a top contender.

Los Angeles is home to the Rams, Chargers, Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers and many, many more pro leagues.

Douglas Chiriboga, MD, was born and raised in east Los Angeles and wanted to stay in Southern California. “I like Los Angeles because of its diversity and multicultural vibe,” he says. “There are many nationalities and languages represented in the Los Angeles area. It adds vitality and strength as we all work together to make Los Angeles special.”

He also enjoys being part of a walking club with an emphasis on climbing stairs in different parts of Los Angeles. 

Chiriboga specializes in family medicine and earned his medical degree at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine and did residency at White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. He practices at Pomona Valley Health Center, about 45 minutes outside of Los Angeles.

Pomona Valley Health Centers are a division of Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, a 412-bed nonprofit community center serving eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties. The medical center offers a full range of services from local primary acute care to highly specialized regional services.

Justin Dye, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Loma Linda University Medical Center, about an hour outside of Los Angeles.

Loma Linda University Health treats more than 1.5 million outpatients every year and serves as a Level I trauma center for a region covering more than 25% of California. “I like the LA area because of the proximity to outdoor activities, generally good weather year round and proximity to places to visit like San Diego, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree and Mammoth Lakes,” says Dye.

Physicians looking for an incredible year-round sports city with a lot of opportunity for physicians will find opportunity in Los Angeles. •