Murphy always had an interest in science and intended to follow his father’s footsteps in the medical field, but he didn’t want to sideline his other passions, like history and art. For his undergraduate studies, he ended up majoring in English literature at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I think balance makes you an overall more well-rounded person,” said Murphy, who was raised in Tampa. “That enriches me and helps me make connections with people.”

Returning to Florida to attend medical school closer to home, Murphy recalls working hard at UF, becoming close friends with peers and spending time exploring Gainesville’s restaurant scene, including gone but not forgotten locations like Leonardo’s Pizza, Leonardo’s 706, Joe’s Deli and Skeeter’s.

He came to medical school with an open mind of what specialty to pursue but gravitated toward the same field as his father, orthopedic surgery.

“Orthopedics is great because you’re dealing with a lot of problems that respond quickly to treatment,” Murphy said. “People recover and get better with a lot of their injuries, and the treatment is more structured and temporary.”

In addition to the clear structure and process for evaluating and treating injuries, he also enjoys the day-to-day variance in the work, spanning from seeing patients and performing physicals in the clinic to operating at the hospital.

It was also important for Murphy to have a sense of work-life balance, allowing him to spend time at home with his wife and two daughters, who are currently in veterinary and medical school.

After completing medical school in Gainesville and residency training in Orlando, Murphy returned to Tampa, where he had the chance to work alongside his father from 1998 until his retirement in 2001.

“Our careers overlapped for a few years, which was a full-circle moment,” he said. “It was nice to see how he treated and cared for people.”

In the early 2000s, Murphy also helped the lead Yankees spring training orthopedic surgeon, Allen Miller, MD, with physicals for minor league players at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

When Miller was retiring in 2012, he recalled Murphy’s work with the minor league players and gave him a call, asking if he might be interested in the job.

After interviewing for the position with the team’s head trainer and lead New York-based physician Christopher Ahmad, MD, Murphy was chosen to join the team roster as the new lead spring training orthopedic surgeon for the Yankees. He also continues to work with minor league players during their regular seasons.

He had never been much of a sports fan at home, despite taking an interest in Florida Gators games while in medical school. That changed somewhat when he became directly invested in the lives of the players.

“Suddenly, I knew who these people were,” he said. “And so, I started watching the games, wanting the team to do well because of my involvement. My wife joked, ‘Who are you? You never used to do this.’”

Murphy said being a team physician can bring a tremendous amount of pressure.

“You see these people all the time,” he said. “You pass them in the hallways, in the cafeteria. But when the trainer asks you to evaluate them, you’re the last person they want to see. They could be thinking the worst, and they’re not sure what their symptoms are going to lead to in terms of diagnosis and downtime. So, you’re going to be sympathetic, but it’s important to maintain objectivity as well, because your job is to find the diagnosis, treat the issue and order the appropriate studies.”

Some of the most common injuries Murphy encounters on the field include shoulder and elbow injuries as well as muscle strains.

In addition to his work with the Yankees, Murphy continues to complete physicals for minor league players and treat non-athlete patients at his practice at Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute in South Tampa.

In 2015, he also joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ orthopedic team, attending all the games and watching from the sidelines. Due to time constraints, for the past five years his role has been more peripheral, completing rookie, draft and end-of-the-year physicals.

As he continues diagnosing and treating injuries, Murphy thinks about the connections all his patients have, whether they’re a star pitcher or a parent recovering from a motor vehicle accident.

“My goal was never to see as many patients as I could,” he said. “It was more important to me to be a better listener, a better communicator and a better doctor for my patients. Even working with professional teams wasn’t something I aspired to do. It adds a whole new level of keeping things exciting and interesting for me, so I am glad to be part of it.”