A Lesson in Empathy: Injury Experience Helps PA Alum Relate to Patients

Tom Rezendes brings a personal perspective to his work as an orthopedic physician assistant, evaluating patients for surgical procedures.

When he left Massachusetts to go to college in Texas, Tom Rezendes was ready for a change of pace, new experiences, and to find his place in the medical field. Maybe he’d become a physician, a pediatrician like his uncle. Maybe he’d work with older adults, like those he met through his summer job driving a medical transport van across Cape Cod.

A pickup basketball game with friends during his junior year changed everything.

“The person I was guarding drove to the hoop, and his shoulder smashed into my nose,” Rezendes, PA-C, MPAS ’25, recalled. “My head snapped back, and I fell to the ground. I had broken my nose before, so I assumed that was what happened, and I resumed my normal life.”

Rezendes suffered a broken nose, concussion, and whiplash from the force of the collision. He spent the next six months struggling with post-concussion syndrome—tension headaches, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, fatigue, and cognitive difficulty. He had to slow down in school—not an easy task as an aspiring medical student—and commit his life to his recovery.

“Between Texas and Massachusetts, I saw 10 different providers, including sports medicine PAs,” he said. “I had never met or been treated by a PA, so the experience opened my eyes to the profession.”

Four years later, Rezendes is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) and an Orthopedic Sports Medicine PA at Massachusetts General Hospital, working alongside the Medical Director and Head Team Physician of the New England Patriots. He evaluates patients with shoulder, hip, and knee injuries or conditions to determine if they are candidates for surgery.

“I’ll spend some time in the operating room, but I’ll mostly be working in the clinic,” he said. “Surgery is a big deal, so this position gives me the opportunity to educate patients, answer their questions, and understand whether or not surgery is the best option.”

Rezendes first encountered orthopedic medicine through a clinical rotation during the second year of the MCPHS program. After a year of rigorous classroom work, he and his classmates had to put their book knowledge to the test with real patients.

“This rotation boosted my confidence in my abilities,” he said. “I knew I had learned what I needed to do the job, but I remember the shift feeling like I could walk into a patient room after seeing their complaint, ask the right questions, and recommend a course of treatment. There are few things more gratifying.”

Every time Rezendes meets a new patient, he’s reminded of the fact that he was on the other side of the conversation.

“I know what it’s like to have your ‘normal’ taken away and the toll it can take on a person,” he said. “My injury has helped me empathize with patients so much more. I want to help them get back to the things that make them happy.”

Rezendes speaks openly about the ways his injury affected his life. Physically, he had to slowly expose himself to more stimuli—even if they’d set off his symptoms—to resume normal activities. He had to be patient and give his brain the time to heal. Mentally, he struggled with anxiety and depression from being unable to go to school, spend time with his friends, or exercise.

With time, hard work, and help from many healthcare professionals, he recovered. He has even returned to playing sports, including basketball. “I am careful to avoid another injury,” he said. “Completely avoiding sports would be its own kind of loss, so I have to find that balance.”

Balance will be key as Rezendes begins his first job as a PA, which will have him splitting time across clinics across the state, from Foxborough, to Waltham, to Massachusetts General Hospital’s main campus in Boston. He says his perspective on life, and his role in others’ lives, makes it worth it.

“I have a newfound gratitude for the little things, like being able to sit down and read a book,” he said. “I’m grateful for this job and the opportunity to ensure patients feel they are heard and cared for.”