Elizabeth Carpenter Gardner, MD

Dr. Elizabeth Gardner is a Yale Medicine orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and arthroscopy, a minimally invasive technique for diagnosing and treating joint issues. As an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, she combines her expertise in medicine with a lifelong passion for athletics, which began during her time as a varsity athlete at Yale.

 

Inspired by her own experience as a surgical patient, Dr. Gardner pursued orthopaedics, training under pioneers in the field and gaining hands-on experience early in her career. Today, she treats a wide range of patients—from university athletes to active individuals—with both surgical and nonsurgical methods, aiming to return them to their sports or other activities as quickly as possible.

 

Beyond treatment, Dr. Gardner focuses on injury prevention, particularly in young athletes. As the head team physician for Yale Athletics and medical director for a regional athletic training program, she also works to educate coaches and promote safe training practices, striving to keep people healthy and out of the operating room.