Eugene Roh, MD, a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine, will travel back to his native South Korea this month to serve as a physician for Team USA during the 2018 Winter Olympics, which begin Friday.
During a Feb. 6 interview for Stanford Medicine, Dr. Roh spoke about his responsibilities as one of the team's physicians and what it means for him to return to South Korea.
Here are four things to know about Dr. Roh and his experience with the Olympics.
1. On his fascination with the Olympic Games: "Everything started when I went to the Olympic Games in Seoul with my middle school class in 1988. It was such a pivotal memory in my life. Since finishing my fellowship training in sports medicine and starting my career, I have always been interested in working at the Olympics. And since South Korea, the country where I was born and raised, is hosting again, the timing was right."
2. On why he sought to be a physician for the U.S. Olympic team: "Being part of Team USA is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. ... It's a chance to work with the best medical team in sports medicine, as well as the best athletes in the world. It is also an opportunity to give something back to [the U.S.], the country that has provided me so many opportunities. I'm looking forward to sharing the experience with my wife and son, and introducing my son to two cultures, American and Korean, at the same time."
3. On how he got the job: "I started looking for an opportunity once it was announced that [South] Korea would host the 2018 Winter Olympics. I was introduced to … the United States Olympic Committee medical director when I went to Korea to attend a sports medicine conference. [He] invited me to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, [Colo.], where I volunteered to work with the athletes. Since I am trained in internal medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation and sports medicine, I was able to see patients with a spectrum of sports-related injuries and internal medicine conditions. Ultimately, I was offered a position as a physician for Team USA."
4. On what his job during the Olympics entails: "I will be in [South] Korea for a month, arriving a week before the Olympics start and staying until the games end. I will be helping to set up the USOC medical clinic on the first floor of the USA athletes' village, and then seeing athletes in clinic. If there are events that need medical coverage, I will be onsite at those games as well."
To read Dr. Roh's full interview, click here.