General Info

William N. Levine, MD is a nationally and globally renowned specialist in arthroscopic and open shoulder, elbow, and knee surgery, and sports medicine. He is Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he holds the Frank E. Stinchfield Professorship in Orthopedic Surgery and serves as Chief of the Orthopedics Service at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Levine previously served the Department as Vice Chairman for Education, Residency and Fellowship Director, Chief of the Shoulder Service, and Co-Director of the Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine. In 2024, Dr. Levine was awarded the inaugural American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Foundation's Founders Legacy Award in Leadership honoring Dr. Louis U. Bigliani. The peer-nominated awards recognize outstanding members who demonstrate the core characteristics of the organizations original founders: Leadership, Service, Diversity and Mentorship. After serving as Head Team Physician for Columbia University athletics for 25 years, Dr. Levine retired from the role in late-2023. Under his guidance, the department's surgeons also function as Team Physicians for the New York Yankees, the Rockland Boulders, Fordham University, Manhattan College, City College of New York, as well as over 25 high schools. Dr. Levine is a consultant for the National Hockey League Players' Association and chairs the Shoulder and Elbow subcommittee for the National Football League. As a former teaching tennis professional and the starting goalie for Stanford University's club hockey team, Dr. Levine is passionate about sports medicine and dedicated to patient care. He has been named a “Top Doctor in Sports Medicine” by Castle Connolly and New York Magazine, and one of the top 25 shoulder surgeons in the United States by Orthopedics This Week. Dr. Levine is a past member of the Executive Committee of the American Orthopedic Association, the world’s first orthopedic association and the organization primarily responsible for the development of orthopedics as a discipline separate from general surgery. He also served on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, the governing body overseeing licensure and training of orthopedic surgeons. Dr. Levine is the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus for the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He also received the prestigious American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon's Traveling Fellowship. Dr. Levine is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Herodicus Society, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. He has made substantial contributions to research, having published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, written over 50 book chapters, edited 11 textbooks, and given over 400 scientific presentations in the United States and abroad. He holds multiple patents and research grants. A native of Fargo, North Dakota, he received a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Case Western Reserve. He was a resident in orthopedic surgery at Tufts Medical Center and held fellowships at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in Shoulder Surgery and the University of Maryland in Sports Medicine. He joined Columbia's Department of Orthopedic Surgery in 1998, became Residency Director in 2002, and in 2006 was awarded the Charles S. Neer, M.D. Teacher of the Year Award for his enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to resident education. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters.