Retired Team Doctor Dr. Todd Harburn '78 Honored at Football Game

Pictured from left, Dr. Todd Harburn and Tim Schoonveld

On Saturday, Hope College Athletics recognized Dr. Todd E. Harburn '78, who served as a team physician for the Flying Dutchmen football program for two decades before retiring following the 2022 season.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Dr. Harburn worked as an orthopedic surgeon and in sports medicine for 36 years.

Dr. Harburn graduated from Hope with a degree in biology. A standout football student-athlete, he was selected as an All-MIAA First Team defensive back as a senior in 1977 and led the MIAA in interceptions that season.

Dr. Harburn went on to graduate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1982. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency in Lansing associated with Michigan State University with sports medicine specialty training under the head team orthopedic surgeon at MSU and also at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Harburn trained orthopedic surgery residents for 20-plus years at Michigan State and the McLaren Greater Lansing health system. He served on the Executive Board of the residency program and was the director of the arthroscopic surgery skills lab for the residents. He served as the first director of surgery for the Mackinac Straits Health System.

While serving at Hope, Dr. Harburn worked with head team physician Dr. Patrick Hulst, Dr. Bruce Stewart, current head athletic trainer Tim Koberna and former head athletic trainers Dr. Rich Ray and Dr. Kirk Brumels.

Dr. Harburn served as Alma College's team physician for 16 seasons before returning to Hope.

Dr. Harburn co-authored "The Illustrated Gridiron History of MIAA Football" and Alma College's Centennial Football History.

Dr. Harburn and his wife, Shirley '79, have two daughters, Shannon '07 and Stacey '09, and two grandchildren.

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