Name: Dr. William StetsonResume: Orthopedic Surgeon at Stetson & Powell
Sport at USC: Men's Volleyball
Caroline Deisley (CD): Did you always know that you wanted to be a surgeon and go into medicine?
Bill Stetson (BS): I knew I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since I was 12. I really did. I did my first research paper when I was 13 on meniscus tears. So, I've always had a passion for medicine. My dad was a general practitioner and I liked what he did, the relationships he had with the community and the ability to help people. But, he worked really hard, he really did. His friends who were the orthopedic surgeons were far and away the happiest that I met. I said, there's got to be something to this so I started looking into it. Then, my mom started working for one of the orthopedic surgeons and we got to be good friends with him. I started spending time in the office, watching surgery and I just found the passion.
CD: How hard was it, once you got to USC and were here playing volleyball, to balance a Pre-Med workload?
BS: It was very challenging, as you can imagine. For volleyball, we started practice the first week in September. Now, I think they have a different schedule. We used to start the first week in September, five to six days a week, three to four hours a day. We practiced the entire year up until the NCAA Finals, which was in early May.
CD: That's a lot! How were you able to balance?
BS: It's a commitment. It just took a lot of sacrifice and time management as you can imagine. I knew I was just a driven kid. I knew I wanted to be the best volleyball player that I could, but I also knew that there was going to be life after volleyball. So, I committed to getting the best grades that I could so I could go to medical school. I wanted to go to medical school at USC so it was a great combination.
CD: What was it like to be a student-athlete here in the '80s? It was somewhat of the "glory days" for many of USC's teams with a lot going on for athletes.
BS: It was pretty amazing if you think about it. For the volleyball team, we were very successful. We went to four Final Fours and won a national championship during that time. The women's volleyball team was also successful. We had some fantastic football teams, some great track & field teams and swimming teams. It was really quite something. I guess we really assumed that every team was going to be a champion but as we know that doesn't always happen.
CD: Now you've stayed somewhat with the volleyball tradition, you get to work with the U.S. volleyball teams as a team doctor. What's it like to still be around volleyball while combining it with your other true passion?
BS: It's really been a nice adventure I would say. I got involved with USA Volleyball about 15 years ago. They used to be based in Colorado Springs and then when they moved to Anaheim it just made it easy for me to take care of them. So, I take care of both the women and the men's national teams. I was able to accompany them to the London Olympics in 2012.
CD: And what was that experience like?
BS: It was quite something, but it was a lot of time away from my family. I have a young family and being away was a little difficult. But, my wife and I made that commitment and we made the sacrifice for it and so did my family, but it was really something, a great experience.
CD: How do you feel now that you are able to combine your knowledge of being an athlete with the work you do with professional athletes? Does that help you?
BS: I think it does give me an advantage and hopefully a little bit of an edge. I understand where they're coming from and for most of them, their sport is their passion. They will do anything they can to get back on that court, get back on that field. I understand that, but I also understand the medical part and the orthopedic part. I need to help them get back as quickly but as safely as possible.
CD: Now that you did take some time off to go through medical school, what was it like getting back into volleyball?
BS: After college, I actually continued to play volleyball. I spent a couple of years in Europe playing volleyball. I deferred my entrance to medical school for a year and played in Germany. Then I came back and continued to play in the United States. I was the assistant coach for USC when Bob Yoder was the head coach while I was in medical school, so that was a challenge. Bob's a great guy and was very understanding about my schedule. I also continued to play on the beach and indoors. We were the USA national champions for five years straight when I came back from Germany. Balancing volleyball and my medical studies is always something I've done.
CD: One thing that I always like to ask former athletes is when you look at college students right now who are trying to combine both their athletic careers and aspirations with their studies, what advice would you give them about having a more balanced life?
BS: I think that's really a great question and I see a lot of it in my practice where the kids are sacrificing some of their studies for the practice field. I think you have to balance both. Not all of us are going to be professional athletes, there's very few of us that are going to get a scholarship to college. I think you use sports to build character, be a part of a team, and build integrity. It's really about your studies. I would tell parents out there, 'Don't push your kids too hard in athletics. Create that balance for them. You don't want kids to burn out.' We see a lot of juniors and seniors in high school who have been playing sports since they were six because dad wanted them to be the next Sandy Koufax. You really need to create that balance and communicate that with your children.
CD: What do you think is the hardest part about realizing that maybe my career is done, that this is the time my body is telling me I can't do this anymore?
BS: That is a really tough one. We see it with a lot of athletes. I know I felt it myself. I played with no injuries up until I was 34. I was still playing volleyball at the time but the body just started breaking down. I had four knee surgeries in two years. It just happens. I think you just have to prepare yourself. Know that you're not going to play forever but keep yourself in the best shape possible because you can continue to play even after you stop playing competitively. Staying in shape is really important.
CD: For someone who has a list of accomplishments, what else is there for you? Is there anything that you are working on that you want to accomplish or are you just trying to do what you love every day?
BS: I really do love what I do every single day and the relationships that I have especially with my athletes. They have an injury and a lot of them are worried about if they are going to continue playing. I talk to them about what their plans are after athletics, after volleyball or after football. I think that's a very good conversation for them to have because sometimes no one has ever had that conversation with them and they are afraid to talk to other people about it. I enjoy that. I enjoy having that discussion with them and I tell them I'm always available to talk about different options after their careers. I've helped about a half dozen of my athletes after they have retired get interviews and jobs in the healthcare industry and other arenas.
