Arkansas Business

Dr. Eric Gordon

Growing up in Russellville, Eric Gordon, 37, always wanted to enter medicine. After meeting and observing an orthopedic surgeon, the father of a girl he was dating, he was hooked. "He kind of showed me the ropes," Gordon said.
After earning his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Gordon went to the Southern California Orthopedic Institute for a fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery in 2005. He treated athletes from UCLA, the Oakland A's and the Los Angeles Clippers.
He returned to Arkansas in 2006 and joined Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics in Little Rock, where he specializes in sports-related injuries, including shoulder and knee injuries.
Gordon said he enjoyed practicing sports medicine because the patients were healthy. "They just get injured and need something to help them ... get back on the field," he said.
Gordon is the team doctor for the Arkansas Travelers and several high schools in Little Rock. He also is the medical director for Junior Deputy Baseball in Little Rock.
Gordon said his current focus was spreading the word through articles and websites about preventing injuries to young athletes. "There are some simple things we can do to help prevent or limit injuries," he said. "Mostly, it's just the education of coaches and parents."