Andrew L. Whaley, M.D. or as friends and family call him, Drew, recognizes his talent as a surgeon not only as a gift, but also as an obligation to give back to his community. At the Center for Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine (COSSM), which he owns and operates out of the Nix Hospital Downtown and Alamo Heights locations, Drew maintains the principles which he built his practice on – serving patients regardless of their economic standing, while also sustaining a thriving business. Though COSSM has had incredible success since opening its doors in 2006, Drew maintains his beliefs and looks into the future with assuredness and humility, “My goal is that I personally, and in my practice of medicine, always be true to my core values of putting the patient first, and I know I will grow because of that.”

Following his residency and training, Drew worked at University Hospital in the Medical Center, but, after identifying a need for access to good orthopedic care in other areas of San Antonio, Drew decided to open his own facility to serve the Downtown and South side areas. As owner and lead surgeon at COSSM, Drew finds himself taking on several different roles, but describes his primary medical responsibilities as threefold: operating on knees, shoulders, hips, and other joints; attending to patients that have been referred to him because of a knee or other joint problem, and serving on call at various San Antonio hospitals to provide assistance with trauma patients. Beyond what he enjoys most, the ongoing learning in medicine and orthopedics, Drew maintains his position as a small business owner and faces many challenges. “In all my years of training, including 10 years post-college, I was really not prepared for the complexities and time-drain of establishing and running a business. This is an ongoing process and it is often difficult to balance both the business side and the medicine side.” Since opening COSSM last year, Drew has also remained dedicated to his family; “This is a daily struggle for me. I have a beautiful wife, Susan and three small children, Lauren, Blake, and Kyle. I typically have a mandatory stop-time with no clinic on Friday mornings in order to see the kids, take them to school, and have lunch with my wife. In the evenings, I try to make it home in time to put my three children to bed with a bedtime story. My desire is to be an important presence in their lives.”

Despite each challenge, Drew finds comfort in finding a job that truly suits him and allows him to be a positive contributor to the San Antonio community, “It is so gratifying when a patient comes back after surgery and I get a handshake, a hug, a thank you, even homemade cookies, because their quality of life has improved and I have had a hand in that. This is my reward.”

Though Drew’s drive denotes the persona of a doctor who has always known his desired specialty, his story is quite the contrary. His path has been primarily dictated by his dedication to his family. Born and raised in Dallas, Drew earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at Texas A&M, and then later attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Wanting to maintain close ties with both his family in Dallas and his wife’s family in Houston, Drew decided to study medicine in San Antonio as a midway point to both families to allow for frequent visits.

Another strong familial force drew him to San Antonio: Drew’s grandfather, John Hinchey, M.D. who pioneered orthopedics in San Antonio and earned a reputation as one of the premier orthopedic surgeons in the city. “I feel a strong personal bond to San Antonio as my grandfather was also an orthopedic surgeon, who practiced here for almost 50 years. I am honored to continue his legacy,” says Drew.

During medical school, despite entertaining several different specialties, it was in fact Drew’s grandfather that eventually led him to his calling. Although Drew originally steered away from orthopedics because of the intense time commitment the specialty requires, Dr. Hinchey suggested that Drew perform an orthopedic rotation with his colleagues Ron Williams, M.D. and James Heckman, M.D. After completing this rotation, Drew developed a sincere appreciation of the camaraderie and instant satisfaction that each of the doctors gained from their work. It was after this experience that Drew solidified his specialty. Following this decision, Drew went on to perform his internship and residency in the Department of Orthopedics at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Drew then spent a year specializing in sports medicine with Champ Baker, M.D. at Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia, where he learned ligament reconstruction and arthroscopy of the ankle, hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder.

In addition to his work at COSSM, Drew is active in the Texas Medical Association and Bexar County Medical Society. His uncle will be President of the Texas Medical Association this year, and under his tutelage, Drew was able to join a few committees to represent the Bexar County and orthopedic surgeons at the local and state levels, which has proved an incredibly rewarding and educational experience. Drew also retains membership to the Arthroscopy Association of America and is certified with the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. Fueling his own active stance in the community, Drew retains several mentors including many of the surgeons and interns that have been instrumental in his medical career and have taught him that one is able to learn from anybody, regardless of experience. His mentors include his grandfather John Hinchey, M.D., Steve Burkhart, M.D., Jesse DeLee, M.D., Fred Corley, M.D., and with regard to business mentors, Bruce Begia, M.D. has been of invaluable assistance in navigating the business side of his practice.

Though Drew has achieved a multitude of success at a relatively young age, he remains grounded. He maintains his positive outlook on the beneficial effect that his clinic has had on the San Antonio community and comments on his true feeling of success through his own personal mantra: “Be dedicated, be eager, be focused, and have a good sense of humor, always realizing that nothing worth attaining is going to come easily.”