"Big wave surfing and performing spine surgery are the two great passions of Drew Brown IV – he craves the mental discipline they both require."

-Greg Gardner

The Surfing Surgeon

Drew J. Brown IV, MD

“It is high stakes with high rewards and you need the same serenity and calm in the arts of surfing and surgery,” says Brown, who moved his practice to Florida Orthopaedic Specialists at St. Lucie Medical Center last year after spending the past 10 years in Hawaii. “It (surfing in Hawaii) is a hierarchical sport. There is a pecking order. You wait your turn. Surfing is dangerous and you learn what it takes to be accepted as part of the crew.”

While he is a peaceful guy, Brown, at 6 feet, 4 inches and 230 pounds, is certainly a big man looming in any surf lineup. He played basketball for the University of Texas for two years.

“In medicine, it is a lifelong journey,” Brown says. “It also has a hierarchy. You gain experience and you move up. Just as the ocean is extremely humbling, so is medicine. You think you have conquered one aspect and two obstacles arise. The ocean shows you how little you know. The human body and the ocean never stop.”

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