Catching up with James Paci
Most people remember James Paci dropping back to pass, behind a catcher’s mask or hitting a jump shot from the top of the key. But, today, the former Blue Devil athletic star has taken his love for sports and science several steps further than most people ever dream of doing.
Mr. Paci is a 1995 graduate of Huntington High School. One of the top students academically in a class filled with strong students, he gained admission to Yale University where continued his football career and delved into comprehensive studies in classes taught by some of the country’s top professors.
He earned a pair of varsity letters at Yale, spending two years at defensive back before switching to offense and starting at wide receiver his junior and senior years. “I was also very involved in the Yale athletics community outreach program, where I acted as a mentor for inner-city youth,” he said.
While at Yale, Mr. Paci knocked off his pre-medical requirements, too. Following his graduation in 1999, he spent a year on the Stony Brook University campus doing biochemistry research. The experience culminated with one of his research papers being published in the Journal of Biochemistry. But, he wasn’t quite through with his schooling.
“I continued my academic career at the Chicago Medical School, in North Chicago, the former Huntington great said. “It was during medical school that I confirmed my passion for orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine.” He earned his MD in June 2004.
Dr. Paci said his days as an athlete “instilled in me the determination needed to be successful, academically and professionally. Nothing prepares you to reach your goals like August two-a-day practices.” Many of his former teammates would readily agree.
Today, he’s an orthopaedic surgery resident at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. During his time there he has distinguished himself through his research endeavors, and has been invited to present his most recent research at the national meetings of the Orthopaedic Research Society and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
“For the past two years I have been the assistant team physician for the Syracuse Crunch, an AHL hockey team,” Dr. Paci said. “Covering sporting events is a real thrill for me. It allows me to use my medical knowledge and my athletic experiences to best determine treatments for individual players in crucial game time situations.”
Following the completion of his current residency, Dr. Paci plans to continue his medical training as a Sports Medicine Fellow at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama under the guidance of world renowned surgeons Dr. James Andrews, Dr. William Clancy and their partners.
“As a fellow, I will be trained in the latest surgical techniques in arthroscopic and sports medicine, and will be continuing my research endeavors,” Dr. Paci said. “I will be responsible for coverage of high school, Division-I collegiate and professional athletic teams and events.”
While Dr. Paci’s professional career is moving right along, he is doing quite well in his personal and private life, too. He married Stacey Mon in May 2007. “A large contingent of Huntington alumnae attended the wedding,” he said.
Stacey is a 1996 graduate of Cold Spring Harbor High School and a 2000 graduate of Duke University, who is currently employed as a vice president at Lazard Asset Management in New York City. “She recently earned her Master’s degree from Columbia University,” Dr. Paci said with pride.
“After completion of my training Stacey and I hope to return to Long Island to be close to family and friends and give back to the community that has given us so much support through the years,” Dr. Paci said. “We still maintain very strong friendships with our high school classmates and teammates and look forward to being back home.”
Whenever Dr. Paci does return to his alma mater he’ll find the welcome mat rolled out for him. While the fields and courts he once starred on have been renovated along with many of his former classrooms, his contributions to Huntington history remain.
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