Like a lot of brothers, Drew and Matt Glogoza love to compete.
They channeled that spirit into sports growing up in Fargo, North Dakota. On their own, Drew played basketball and Matt played hockey. Together, they shared the soccer pitch as kids and later in college.
“I think a lot of athletes would tell you they really appreciate that part of life because you get to spend more of that valuable time doing something that’s not forever with your sibling,” said older brother Drew.
They also recognize their differences. Drew is more likely to loosen up and “have a little bit more fun.”
“I think we both have a nice on and off switch – ‘on’ being very serious and tense – but I think my ‘on’ switch is a little higher,” Matt said with a laugh. “I can bring that intensity a little bit more than he can.”
The brothers’ competitive drive evolved over the years, especially when they shifted their focus to becoming doctors at Sanford Health in Fargo. Matt Glogoza, M.D. is an interventional cardiologist, while Drew Glogoza, D.O., is a sports medicine physician.
“Since we got into medicine, I think it’s gotten a lot more where the competition has gone to help push each other forward,” said Drew, who is also the team physician for North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, the Fargo Force and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Teammates working in tandem
The medical field was always part of the plan for the Glogoza brothers. Their mother was a pharmacist and their father was an entomologist at NDSU, fostering a shared interest in science.
“Well, he wanted to do it, so I had to do it, right?” Matt laughed.
“Competition. I told you it was there,” Drew chimed in.
The brothers started as nurse aides at Sanford, then completed their residencies in Minneapolis and fellowships in Indianapolis, before finding their way back home to Fargo.
“My mom always likes to joke, ‘You guys moved to Minneapolis together, you moved to Indianapolis together, so now it’s time for you to move back to Fargo together,’” Drew said. “So here we are, back together in Fargo, making Mom happy.”
Photo courtesy of the Glogoza family
Being former college athletes, Drew and Matt bring unique perspectives to working with student-athletes. Some things can’t be learned from a textbook.
“You have an insight because you know what it’s like to be sitting on the opposite side where somebody’s talking to you about playing time and missing stuff,” Drew said.
The experience goes a long way toward talking with athletes about injuries, risks and return to play. It also shapes the approach for difficult conversations and decisions.
“If I ever have to tell someone, ‘Hey, I don’t think it’s safe for you to play,’ I understand the gravity of that decision,” Matt said. “It’s a big deal to these athletes. If we tell them they can’t do something, I take that very, very seriously.”
Collaboration to keep athletes safe
The Glogozas don’t work side by side often, but there is some overlap between their patients for a variety of reasons. They collaborate in those cases, knowing that the other is never more than a phone call away.
“By the time they get to a cardiologist to evaluate them, Drew’s probably already screened them and he’s like, ‘I need you to see this athlete and figure out what’s going on,’” Matt said.
Those collaborative conversations can also spark new ideas. When the time came for the NDSU football team’s preseason physicals this year, they talked about bringing the cardiology team on board for cardiovascular screenings.
“When I went to my higher-ups and said, ‘Hey, I think we should do this,’” it was a resounding, “‘Yes, let’s figure it out. Let’s do it,’” Matt said.
On a steamy July afternoon, dozens of Bison football players filed through the athletic training facility on campus, participating in general physical screenings with Drew and a team of Sanford sports and orthopedics specialists.
“Things change. You might have been good when you were 18, but you maybe had a little bit of some stuff. Now we’re 22, and maybe you’re having some symptoms or something else has changed to come up,” Drew said of the annual physicals. “That’s where the whole collaborative part of this is really important because of those changes that happen.”
For the first time during the process, the football team also underwent EKG cardiovascular screenings as Matt and a team of cardiologists examined the results on-site.
“Mainly looking for certain types of cardiovascular disease that can put athletes at higher risk of having issues during training and during games,” Matt explained. “I want to make sure they can compete at the highest level they can as long as it’s safe.”
Community connection
The collaboration is an example of the partnership between Sanford Health and NDSU to keep athletes safe and performing at their best.
“There’s a pride that at Sanford we like taking care of the Bison and like taking care of athletes. It’s been a really great experience for all of us,” Matt said.
“I think the community likes it too,” added Drew.
That connection was apparent in the hours leading up to the preseason physicals. One of Matt’s patients that day surprised him out of the gate.
“He said, ‘I heard you doing the football team screening,’” Matt said. “I was like, ‘How did you hear that?’ He’s like, ‘I’m a big Bison fan.’”
Drew and Matt have become bigger Bison fans since coming back to Fargo. And their competitive spirit fuels their drive for taking care of the community that raised them.
“I get to be on the sidelines, and that’s about as close as you can get to still getting that feeling for competing,” Drew said. “It gives me a chance to still be involved in something I feel passionate about and take care of these guys and keep them out there playing.”
“I love Fargo. I love the people here,” added Matt. “There was no question I was going come back and work here and take care of the people in Fargo.”
Learn more
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- Dual injuries give football player a chance to get stronger
- Athletic sudden collapse could be serious heart condition
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Posted In Fargo, Heart, People & Culture, Sanford Stories, Sports Medicine
