Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Lakeway is hundreds of miles away from the plush, green playing fields of any Major League Baseball stadium, but Dr. Kip Murphy still feels like a big-league slugger when he walks around the medical center’s hallways or meets with patients. “I know it’s cliche, but I think orthopedics is a nice situation where someone can come to you with a problem and you can help them possibly restore function and decrease pain,” Murphy said.  “I think when you do that, it feels like a home run. I haven’t hit too many home runs [as a weekend athlete], but that’s what it feels like.” Murphy graduated from Texas Tech University’s Health Science School of Medicine-Lubbock and is a fellow of the San Francisco Shoulder, Elbow and Hand Clinic. Eight years ago Texas Tech recognized him with the Outstanding 4th Year Medical Student in Orthopaedics award. Murphy, an Abilene native, said he decided to pursue a career as an orthopedist while he was an undergraduate student. His love for fishing initially prompted Murphy to want to become a fisheries biologist, but he also wanted to work with people. Along the way, he decided he wanted to perform surgeries and specialized in shoulders during his residency in San Francisco. “I see a lot of people who were doing yard work, a lot of old injuries in baseball, golf, tennis, especially with those overhead sports where you’re bringing your arm over, that could lead to rotator cuff tears,” Murphy said. “I tell you, the most common one I think I see is the overhead luggage bin on an airplane. I see so many people who tear their rotator cuff doing that. I always tell my patients to get some assistance with that if you’re worried about your shoulder. “[Baylor, Scott & White] is patient-focused with all of their medical records in their system so they can directly communicate with their primary care physician, their physical therapist. [That way] we can coordinate their care.” Murphy said. Murphy also said he enjoys seeing former patients. “When they come in without their walker or without their sling and they’re just glowing, it makes you feel really good.” Murphy said. “You know they’re somebody’s mom or somebody’s grandfather and you’re getting them back to things they enjoy.”