Dr. Gregory Snyder majored in Molecular Biology with certificate programs in Neuroscience and Spanish at Princeton University. In June 2013, Greg suffered a traumatic fall while hiking with his dog, which resulted in broken vertebrae and a spinal cord injury. After two spinal fusion surgeries and a lengthy Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, Greg got stronger each day and learned how to adjust to a life as a T9 paraplegic – to become independent again. The experience of immediately becoming a patient with a chronic health condition enlightened Greg as to the real difficulties and inefficiencies of our healthcare system. After rehabilitating for one year, Greg finished medical school at Jefferson Medical College. 

Currently, Greg  is an Attending Physician of General Internal Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, which is part of the Mass General Brigham Health System. He is also an affiliate faculty member at Ariadne Labs, an entity that studies the implementation of best practices for healthcare delivery and works for innovative startups that are attempting to improve the quality and access to health care, including through telehealth.

Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, Greg shares his story and the lessons he has learned as a paraplegic doctor. He discusses how as a patient, along with his perspective as a doctor, he was able to gain an understanding of the requirements one must need to receive quality care. Greg is a strong advocate for doctors to see differences in today’s medical field. He states, “We could find value in the subtle difference between being a patient learning from a doctor and being a doctor learning as a patient. This will make for good, patient doctors.”