Mark Hamilton is joining fellow medics on the front-lines to battle the Coronavirus after an early graduation.
Changing One Field for Another
First baseman for 2011 MLB champion St. Louis Cardinals, Mark Hamilton, is set to enter the medical field and the fight against COVID-19, as his graduation from a Long Island medical school will come one month early.
“Over both my careers, it’s the same thing. You’ve got a job to do, you’re needed, do them to the best of your ability,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton has received support from his peers and fellow players for his decision to go face to face with the virus in one of the hot spots in the nation, as well as being one of few ballplayers to earn the title of doctor in reality and not just as a nickname.
Luckily, medicine and sports seem to be running in Hamilton’s family’s veins as his brother played soccer, while his sister is a top equestrian. The former big leaguer’s father, Stanley, was head of pathology and laboratory medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, currently holding the same position at a center in Southern California.
Hamilton’s first year on the field of medicine picked quite the time – it’ll likely be completely dominated by caring for patients infected with the Coronavirus at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and the North Shore University Hospital.
“Entering the front lines straight out of school is daunting. But I’m ready, I’m prepared,” Hamilton said.
