Resident Spotlight
Thomas Stang, DO
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ver the last 20 years, Dr. Stang has uniquely experienced extreme situations and traumatic injuries. As a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, aka Green Beret 18 Delta, he witnessed, stabilized and helped treat a variety of injuries that could have been careerending or life-altering. The care and treatment provided to these military soldiers and citizens by orthopaedic surgeons helped shape his passion for continuing his medical career. A Midwest native originally from Osceola, Wisconsin, Dr. Stang enlisted in the Army Reserves after high school and continued serving during his undergraduate years at the University of Wisconsin, where he pursued his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. After September 11th, 2001, Dr. Stang enlisted into the active duty Army, declining his commission to the rank of officer, to pursue the career path that would take him to the tip of the spear, a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, the best of the best. His responsibility as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant (SFMS) through five deployments meant overseeing the work at three clinics in both Afghanistan and Iraq which were built de novo for the local citizens. At capacity, they could treat some 150 patients a day. “I was able to mentor the local physicians to become self-sustaining, allowing the clinics to remain open and successful after we left,” he explained. While much of the care provided while deployed was routine, Dr. Stang was challenged continuously with more challenging and complex medical problems like gunshot wounds, motor vehicle accidents and blast injuries. He remembers, “As the only medical provider for 100’s of miles there were a lot of sleepless nights.” When he wasn’t busy caring for the injured, as the senior medical sergeant, he was responsible for planning, organizing, implementing, and execution of MEDEVAC procedures and platforms for more than 1500 combat operations. “I am also proud of the work I did as a liaison between the US Embassy and Yemen, in particular, the work I was able to do to help improve medical treatments and facilities located in that country’s capital and the surrounding areas, along with my efforts to help improve the countries emergency response system,” he said.
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The experiences he gained during this time helped solidify his career goal in his mind. “I want to translate my diversified life experience into innovation, to improve efficacy and efficiency, building on the strong legacy of revolutionary care and treatment within orthopaedics,” Dr. Stang explained. He somberly remembered one time while on foot patrol in Iraq, a blast from a 105mm Mortar improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated just 10 feet from him by a fellow soldier who also was a close friend. “I was the only medic on the ground,” he remembered. “I did my best to get to him as quickly as possible, but I was only able to support and comfort my friend during his last moments, but for three others, I was able to stabilize and transport them to a higher level of care.” He also sustained injuries from this blast that required surgery. Because of postoperative complications, he spent nine months in and out of the hospital undergoing treatment and enduring pain beyond what chronic pain specialists could treat. Later that year, Dr. Stang was not only awarded his second Bronze Star for valor in the face of danger but also the Purple Heart for injuries sustained during combat. “This was a very turbulent and seemingly unrelenting period for my family and me,” he said. “But in many ways, it was also a blessing because I now can completely appreciate what it means to be on the receiving end of the scalpel, the potential complications and related pain one can experience and the frustration of the recovery process.” Dr. Stang completed his time in the military in 2012 and later went on to receive his medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. He is currently completing his fourth year of orthopaedic residency at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and is looking forward to interviewing for a Trauma fellowship position and eventually the next chapter of his life.