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Working with professional athletes seems like it could be a dream job for a team doctor, many of whom used to be athletes themselves. But under the weight of public scrutiny as fans judge the care their favorite players are receiving, the pressure on these doctors is intense.

Some surgeons do practice intensely, doing mock surgeries on cadavers, before procedures on multi-million-dollar players, according to the Boston Globe. The payoff for a successful performance — on the surgeon’s part — can be a flock of new, everyday Joe patients who need the same procedure.

The pitfall is that a doctor’s judgment can be questioned publicly — such as with Tom Brady’s staph infection following knee surgery or a temporarily patched-up loose tendon that allowed Curt Schilling (pictured in 2007) to pitch in the World Series. The doctor can’t defend the work because of patient confidentialty roles, according to the Globe.

Yet team docs say they don’t fall to the pressure of bending the medical rules for star athletes. “It works out wonderfully, if I stick to my principles,” Brian McKeon, the Boston Celtics team doctor, told the Globe. “Then I don’t care if I have the president on the table, I am ready. That’s my approach.”

Photo: Associated Press

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Being a Sports Team Doctor Has Its Pressures