Specialties: Sports Medicine, Family Medicine

Dr. Erik Dean D.O. attended University of Arizona on an academic scholarship and graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology.  He was a member of the University of Arizona football team for four years playing wide receiver and defensive back in the famed “Desert Storm” seasons.  Dr. Dean’s athletic career was highlighted by finishing tied for the first place in the Pac-10 and 7^th in the nation after beating the University of Miami in the Fiesta Bowl in 1993.As a shock to most, Dr. Dean was not invited to the NFL combine and had to go to medical school instead.

Dr. Dean attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California earning a DO degree in 2001.  He did a family medicine residency at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona serving as chief resident in 2004.  Between medical school and residency elective rotations, Dr. Dean did a combined one year of sports medicine and orthopedic training.  He spent several months under the professional team physicians including Dr. Steingard, Dr. Phelps, and Dr. Emerson of the Phoenix Suns and Dr. Waslewski of the Phoenix Coyotes.

After residency, Dr. Dean started the medical practice Scottsdale Health and Wellness.  This was the medical home of many patients and athletes from 2004 – 2007.  During this time, Dr. Dean was the team physician for Desert Mountain High School and served as a member of the Scottsdale Healthcare sports medicine team.

Dr. Dean joined Arizona Sports Medicine Center in January, 2008 and continues to practice both Sports and Family Medicine.  Dr. Dean is currently a spring training team physician and provides major and minor league weekly training room visits for the San Francisco Giants.  He is a medical consultant for the Chicago Cubs, helping Dr. Peterson with physicals and injury/illness during spring training and year round with minor leagues.  He is the team physician to Saguaro High School and Desert Mountain High School.  He was the team physician with Dr. Amit for the Arizona Rattlers Arena Football League team in 2010, and started caring for the Kansas City Wizards Major League Soccer for winter training in 2010.  Dr Dean has been the medical director for Scottsdale Unified School District Athletics since 2009 ensuring and supervising physician and athletic training coverage for athletic events and planning and providing pre-participation physicals.  Dr. Dean sees elite athletes with Dr. Freedberg from Athletes Performance, ranging from NFL players training for the combine to MLB baseball players training in off-season.  Dr. Dean has clinical interests in sports medicine, athletic injuries, endurance athletics, preventive medicine, and allergy/asthma care.

Dr. Dean still tries to keep active himself, and enjoys spending time with his family coaching his kids sports teams and doing outdoor activities.  He is an avid runner and triathlete, with a personal best 3:16 marathon at PF Changs marathon 2010 (missing Boston Marathon Qualifying by 27 seconds!).