A Background Rooted in Minnesota and Advanced Orthopedic Training
A Minnesota native who grew up in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Summit sports medicine and orthopedic trauma specialist Andrew Samborski, MD, played hockey and football at Minnetonka High School. After college, he spent two years pursuing clinical research before attending medical school at the University of Minnesota. Following residency training at the University of Rochester, Dr. Samborski spent a year at the renowned Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles. He then spent three years in Memphis, where he primarily focused on orthopedic trauma and infection care for patients of all ages.
Dr. Andrew Samborski’s Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Trauma Training
He brings that subspecialty training to Summit, helping patients with traumatic injuries at M Health Fairview Southdale and M Health Fairview Ridges hospitals while also continuing to practice general sports medicine.
“Orthopedic trauma can be challenging at times, because it’s usually urgent, and you have to meet your patient where they are in terms of their current physical health,” Dr. Samborski said. “Whereas you can help patients prepare for elective orthopedic surgery by optimizing their strength and mobility before the procedure, that’s not the case when a traumatic injury has already happened and the patient needs more urgent surgical intervention.”
Dr. Andrew Samborski’s Approach to Patient Care as a Sports Medicine Physician
Dr. Samborski centers his interactions with patients on empathy, understanding that he is meeting patients on their worst day. He offers a sense of hope and optimism, while also helping patients and their families develop a realistic understanding of the injury and setting expectations about the patient’s function moving forward.
He aims for his patients to feel well cared for and to trust that he is there for them to help them through this difficult time in their lives. “The biggest compliment I can get from patients is their referring their other family members or loved ones to me and/or coming back to see me for problems not related to the original injury I treated them for,” he said.
Dr. Andrew Samborski’s Personal Interests
Outside of work, Dr. Samborski keeps busy with his family. His wife is a board-certified OB/GYN who specializes in gynecologic oncology, and they have two young children. Stemming from his love of sports growing up, Dr. Samborski loves to stay active. He enjoys water sports like waterskiing and wakeboarding, as well as winter sports including downhill skiing and ice hockey. He also likes to hunt and fish.
In his free time, he can be found in the kitchen, where he is an enthusiastic home cook, or catching up with his beloved Minnesota sports teams, including the Vikings, Twins, Wild, and Timberwolves.
“I’ve been all over the country, and Minnesota is a unique place,” Dr. Samborski noted. “There are some of the most hardworking, genuine, caring people you can find. They’re tough, they’re resilient, and have high expectations about the function they want to achieve because they are highly active and passionate about their hobbies. I’m honored to be able to care for our Minnesota community.”
