When Mark R. Colville, MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist  came to Portland in 1986 to teach at Oregon Health Science University (OHSU), he wanted to work as a team physician for a university athletic program.
     
A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School  near suburban Detroit where he grew up, and with a fellowship in sports medicine at Harvard Medical School under his belt, he'd been working with the New England Patriots as part of his training prior to his arrival in Portland, “so I immediately began looking around for another team,” he recalled.
    
Since he had experience with and was hired to teach the then relatively new techniques of arthroscopic surgery and ligament reconstruction, working with college athletes was a natural.
     
Colville was rebuffed when he first knocked at Portland State's door because “they said they already had a good working relationship with a physician, so I went on about my business.”  Nine months later “they called and said they were looking for someone.  And the rest is history,” he said.
    
Today, Colville is in his 25th year as head team physician with the Vikings.
    
PSU's medical team today consists of 12 primary people, including a chiropractor and two acupuncturists who “we can call on any time with unreasonable requests and we'll get their time.  They're all great at what they do and wonderful people,” said head Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine Jim Wallis.
     
But, Colville has a special place in Wallis' heart.
     
“He's one of the best.  He's an excellent physician; he cares and gives us his time without pay.  He's exceptionally smart.  He's well respected regionally and nationally but there's no hint of that in his demeanor. Besides being a good doctor, he's a wonderful human being,” said Wallis.
      
If PSU has appreciated Colville's efforts for the past 25 years, it's been a mutual appreciation society.
     
“It's been a lot of fun for me…very educational both personally and professionally,” Colville said.  “It's a very rewarding experience taking care of young athletes who have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, watching them grow into adults and into their sports,” he added pointing to former PSU basketball player Ime Udoka and others with whom he's worked at PSU.
     
Educationally, PSU's sports program was a great resource for teaching orthopedic residents while Colville was at OHSU (1986-1995).  “I could bring them along and they could see the process from beginning to end. That's something they'll need to know because they'll see a lot of it when they get into their own practices.”
     
And, the decisions a team physician makes aren't always easy.
     
When it comes to an injured athlete in Dr. Colville's area “he sometimes has to make decisions that people don't agree with, but it has to be done.”
      
He makes decisions critical to a team's success, like if it's safe for an athlete to return to play and the timing of that return.  That has the potential to put him at odds with coaches who need a player back as soon as possible and with athletes themselves, who often are experiencing their first serious injury.
      
“Most kids are motivated to play and I want them to play, too.  But I help them understand when they can play.  Sometimes I think the athlete wants to play so badly that no one is telling me the truth,” he said laughing.
      
But, it's all about the long range health of student athletes.
    
“Over the years I've dealt with a lot of coaching staffs. At PSU, they've always wanted what's best for the kids. You get a lot of hand wringing, but the coaches want to do what's right. It can be tough to get the student athlete to understand, to be patient,” he said.
      
A team physician has to “divorce himself from the team's win-loss record,” said Colville.  And, Wallis said that's one of the reasons he offers his services pro-bono.
       “Early on, he said he didn't want payment because he didn't want a conflict of interest with the university or a coach.  He doesn't want someone to say…'look, we can take our money and hire someone else if you don't put appropriate weight on what we need',” said Wallis.
      
And, while that potential for conflict is there, Colville said it's a rare occurrence in collegiate athletics these days “particularly at large institutions. There's just too much scrutiny. When you're dealing with serious injuries, I think everyone is really on the side of the athlete.”
     
The toughest part of his job, Colville said, is “when you have to tell someone they have a season, or maybe career-ending injury.  I have to tell some kids they can't play.  That's the hardest thing to do…but as you get older…I think this is also true of coaches…you see the longer picture better.  You get a little more philosophical.”
    
Explaining this to a young athlete can be tricky and both Wallis and Athletic Director Torre Chisholm give Colville especially high marks in that department.
    
“He's the perfect balance between medical expertise and understanding the psychology of dealing with young athletes.  He talks in such a way that they understand the parameters around their injuries…and that's especially tricky when you're dealing with young people who often still see themselves as being bulletproof,” said Chisholm.
      
While the team physicians always have the last word, Wallis said his relationship with Colville is one of mutual respect.  “I respect him as a professional and as a human being.  He's always been respectful of me and my staff.”
       
And when Colville, who also works with the Portland Winterhawks and Concordia College, left OHSU to join Rebound, a clinic specializing in sports medicine, he added another resource which Wallis finds valuable.
      
“He's very generous of his time with us.  He opens his office early on Monday morning specifically to see PSU student-athletes.  If needed x-rays can be obtained, MRI's scheduled, and plans made for the activity level of the athlete for the week. He then comes to PSU at the end of his work day on Monday from 5:30 to about 7:00 PM to see anyone else that needs evaluation. This makes for a long day,” Wallis said.
       
Some trainers have difficulty getting the immediate attention needed from their team physicians and “that creates a difficulty for us because, technically, a trainer can't diagnose.”
      
For Colville, it's been a great ride, so far.  His first year was a “Cinderella” year in that PSU's football team played for the Division II national championship.
     
“Working with young people is an especially bright spot in an orthopedic sports medicine practice.  It's a labor of love…“very time consuming and not much of a money maker, it's shaped my practice.  And, I've been a part of the PSU family.  That's very rewarding,” he said.