Peter Amadio, M.D. (OR 1983)
Alumni Association Secretary-Treasurer, Board Member
- Dean for Research Academic Affairs, Mayo Clinic
- Lloyd A. and Barbara A. Amundson Professor of Orthopedics
- Professor of Biomechanical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- Fellowship: Orthopedics Research, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Boston; Hand Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University
- Residency: General Surgery, Medical College of Virginia; Orthopedics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Medical School: Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University
- Undergraduate: The Pennsylvania State University
- Native of: Philadelphia
Why did you decide to pursue medicine?
You could say I was born to it. When I was 6, my father was a medical student at Jefferson Medical College and filled out a preliminary application for me.
What was your initial impression of Mayo Clinic?
I grew up on the East Coast, mostly in or around big cities. Before visiting Mayo Clinic, my impression was that I would be trading big-city culture for a smaller town environment. Then Larry Miller, M.D. (I 1976, GI 1979), a college and medical school classmate and current Mayo consultant, encouraged me to read The Doctors Mayo by Helen Clapesattle. The book opened my eyes about Mayo’s values and culture. It became clear to me then that by leaving city life behind I would be gaining far more than I might lose. Ever since, Mayo has been home to me.
What valuable lesson have you learned at Mayo Clinic?
A fulfilling job is a blessing.
What do you do in your spare time?
My wife and I still enjoy a dose of big-city life, theater and the arts, and we travel often. But now Rochester is getting more of that cultural vibe we enjoy, thanks to the new Destination Medical Center project.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I am fascinated by horse racing. My wife and I have attended the Kentucky Derby every year since 1989, and we are partners with another Mayo surgeon in owning four thoroughbred racehorses. We have not had a Derby horse (yet!), but it is still a lot of fun.