Photo Caption: Dr. Sarah Shubert is a fellowship trained orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Northern Light Mercy Hospital. She is part of the Northern Light Mercy Orthopedics and Sports Medicine practice in Falmouth.
Dr. Sarah Shubert is a fourth-generation doctor who grew up skiing at Sugarloaf and swimming competitively on her Bangor High School swim team. Given that background, it’s really no wonder she became a fellowship trained orthopedic sports medicine surgeon; however, it might be surprising to learn that she is also a part of the physician pool that provides medical care to the US Ski & Snowboard Team.
Dr. Shubert practices at Northern Light Mercy Hospital’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Falmouth. In addition to her care of patients in Maine, Dr. Shubert has been providing medical care to top-level athletes for nearly a decade, including a number of gold and silver medalists.
“Physicians travel with the team in the US and in other countries, in training and in competition, and the team depends on our expertise in sometimes urgent scenarios, on the hill when others may not be around to help,” says Dr. Shubert. “It’s an honor to have their trust, and they are grateful for our participation as volunteers. They are hardworking, inspiring to be around, and their level of talent is truly amazing.”
While doctors travel all over the world with this team of athletes, Dr. Shubert has chosen to limit her travel to within the United States. Most recently, she spent a week in Aspen for the Toyota Grand Prix World Cup event with the men’s and women’s Freeski Slopestyle teams. She has also previously traveled with the men’s Alpine team and the men’s Snowboard team.
So how did she end up a part of this elite team?
As a fellowship trained sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Shubert covered various teams throughout training in Boston and San Diego, for virtually all different sports. In Maine, she has provided regular coverage in the past with the Maine Celtics D League Basketball, as well as some volunteer work with Falmouth High school athletes, occasional coverage of University of New England athletic teams, Bowdoin Ice Hockey, and others. During her fellowship, she was part of a team of physicians with the San Diego Padres and San Diego State football.
“All of this led me to apply to join the Physician Pool for the US Ski and Snowboard Teams, where I can use my skills to help the highest level of athletes with their medical needs and injuries —some of which are more routine, and some of which can involve high speed and severe traumatic injuries,” explains Dr. Shubert.
The US Ski & Snowboard Physician Pool is comprised of more than 200 licensed physicians of various sub-specialties who volunteer their time and financial resources to provide medical services to the teams. Physicians must complete background screenings, take training courses, and complete safe sport and anti-doping education annually.
Training courses include an on-mountain trauma course in Colorado every four years, where they take part in mock drills and lectures to keep their skills at the level needed to care for athletes of this caliber who face a regular risk of injury as part of their sport.
“Being on this medical team and taking part in this kind of training helps you maintain skills in the most fun way, by being with such elite athletes,” says Dr. Shubert.
While Dr. Shubert is clear that physicians are there as medical support, not tourists or fans, she also appreciates the opportunity she has had to meet some of these top-tier athletes.
“I’ve met and spend time with Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shriffin, Alex Hall, and many others,” she recalls. “When I covered the US Men’s Alpine team in Colorado, Sam Morse, who recently competed in the 2026 Olympics, was there. Sam grew up at Sugarloaf, where his parents have been long-time residents and business owners, which was a fun connection. The US Team skiers expressed a lot of respect for Mainers who grew up learning on the often rugged and icy terrain. A common sentiment seemed to be ‘if you can ski at Sugarloaf, you can ski everywhere’.”
Dr. Shubert completed her undergraduate degree at Yale University and attended medical school at Tufts University. She completed her General Surgery Internship and Orthopedic Residency at Tufts, and her sports medicine fellowship at UCSD/San Diego. She specializes in shoulder surgery, arthroscopy and shoulder replacement. She is a member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Society and serves on the editorial board for the international orthopedic journal, Arthroscopy.
Caption for event photo:
The Toyota Grand Prix World Cup at Aspen Snowmass in Colorado in January.
Caption for group photo:
Dr. Sarah Shubert (first standing row, far right) poses with skiers from the men’s and women’s US free ski teams during their competition at the Toyota Grand Prix World Cup in January. The winner, kneeling in front, was Mac Forehand, who went on to win silver in the Olympics a month later. Also in the photo is Alex Hall, a gold medalist in the 2022 Olympics and silver medalist in the 2026 Olympics, as well as rookie Avery Krumme, who qualified at this event for the Olympics.