Jan 29, 2015Top of Her Game
“I know this is hard to believe, but there can be an advantage to being a woman in a man’s world of professional sports,” the team physician for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox admits. “Because I am a woman, some players feel more comfortable confiding in me about their struggles with injuries, asthma, high blood pressure and even depression.” Weber continues, “But when it comes down to it, being a good sports medicine physician is about skill, talent and experience, and not gender.
When Weber first began working with the White Sox in 2004, it was the first time a female physician had walked into the White Sox locker room. She feels like part of the team and the players are happy to have her around. Weber doesn’t think gender should be an issue for team physicians.
She grew up in a sports-minded family in Indianapolis. In high school, she played volleyball and basketball and went on to run track in college. As an adult she ran competitively, competing in an ultramarathon and running numerous marathons including the Boston marathon. “I know what its like to put your heart and soul into a sport you love. I use my medical training and experience as a lifelong athlete to help professional athletes who are at the top of their game.”
After graduating with a nursing degree, she proceeded to get a masters degree in Exercise Physiology. However, that still wasn’t enough for Weber, who was destined to be a doctor. She received her medical degree from Rush Medical College, Chicago. Weber went on to complete her residency in internal medicine at Rush and a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of California Medical Center, San Diego.
As a sports medicine physician at MOR, Weber specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal issues. Besides her work as a team physician with the Bulls and White Sox, she’s head team physician for DePaul University, Chicago, and the Chicago Force, a women’s professional tackle football team. She has served on the MLB Physicians Advisory Board, the MLB Physician’s Executive Committee and currently the MLB and NBA Concussion Committees.
Weber knows the importance of having positive role models which is why since 2002 she’s served on the Board of Girls in the Game, a Chicago nonprofit that brings the power of sports and leadership to inner city girls. “I tell the girls what a role model once told me — to strive for your dreams and do what you love.”
