About Dr. Anderson “Surgery affords me the opportunity in medicine, to see a problem and fix it,” says Dr. William Anderson. “This offers the potential to make an immediate, positive difference in people’s lives.” This was not the most obvious career path for him in the beginning, though. Dr. Anderson came to the medical field via a very nontraditional route. He was working as an archaeologist in California and Nevada when he came to the realization that he felt unfulfilled. “I felt that, just like the Ark in Indiana Jones, my work would simply be boxed up and placed in a warehouse, never to be seen again.” He always had some interest in medicine, so he decided to volunteer at his local hospital on his days off. “On my first day of volunteering,” he says, “I knew that I had been doing the wrong thing with my life and career.” He was led to Beacon not long after his decision to pursue medicine. On their move from Northern California to Boston, he says, “My wife and I saw the sign for Notre Dame on the side of the freeway. We decided to stop by to take a picture with ‘Touchdown Jesus.’” When Dr. Anderson saw a job posting for Beacon, it immediately felt like “a sign.” Dr. Anderson takes a personal approach to patient care, recognizing that all human beings come from different circumstances and backgrounds – and in the same way, their medical treatments must be tailored to them. He likes to speak with patients and their families as if they were his own. Even when interactions are brief, he wants patients to feel confident that he’ll be there for them. In his own words… Who is or was the most influential person/role model in your life? My dad. He instilled in me the value of honest, hard work, and doing things the right way. “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.” What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? My first job was delivering papers starting at age 12. I lived in Central Wisconsin at the time, and winters were a little tough, especially when it hit -20 degrees. But it taught me the value of hard work. What is your favorite food? I have two favorite foods: Barbeque ribs with cornbread and Mediterranean food (gyros, falafel, etc.) Movie? My favorite movies mostly come from the 1980s and include Empire Strikes Back and The Breakfast Club. What was your best/worst subject in school growing up? My best subjects were History, Art, and Biology. My worst subject was English. If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? My choice would be my dad who passed away during my first year of medical school. I’d like to thank him for all the sacrifices that he made for our family and country, many of which I’m now only beginning to understand. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? What are your hobbies, interests? I enjoy working on my house and car. Just as in medicine, I like to diagnose and learn how to fix things. I also enjoy creating art with my daughter, going to sporting events with my son, and spending the quiet evenings after they go to bed talking with my wife