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VAIL — Dr. Leslie Vidal, an orthopedic surgeon who has practiced in the Denver area for nearly two decades, has joined the surgical team at The Steadman Clinic as its first female orthopedic surgeon, according to a news release.
“Not only will I be the first female orthopedic surgeon at Steadman but also the first here in the Vail Valley,” Vidal said in the release. “That is a really exciting opportunity for me, giving me the chance to further dive into the care of the female athlete.”
A Colorado native, Vidal completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University in Providence, R.I., and then graduated from the Boston University School of Medicine. She served an internship and residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, where her chief resident was Dr. Peter Millett, who is now a partner at The Steadman Clinic, according to the release.
Vidal said working in sports medicine has been a dream of hers since she was in grade school.
“When I was about 11 years old, I was at a Broncos game with my dad, and I saw the team doctor go out on the field when John Elway went down with an injury,” she said in the release. “I turned to my dad — I was this skinny little 11-year-old missing a couple of front teeth — and said, ‘I think I want to be the Broncos’ team doctor when I grow up.’ My dad and everyone in the south stands had a good chuckle at that. For some reason that just kind of stuck with me as something that would be really fun to do — to go out and help athletes get back on their feet and be there for them throughout the whole process.”
She continued to focus on sports medicine in college and medical school, with a particular focus on females.
“I think they are interested in addressing the female athlete distinctly,” she said about The Steadman Clinic. “And having someone who can deal with the specific nuances of the female athlete could be very useful to the clinic.”
Vidal’s husband, Dr. Armando Vidal, joined the clinic in May. They have two sons and relocated from Denver to the Vail Valley this summer.
“I think as a family that skis a lot and spends a lot of time up here in Vail and Frisco, the opportunity to live and work here is ideal for us and a dream come true for me,” she said.
This story is from VailDaily.com.