KING CITY — With a private practice in San Luis Obispo and Templeton, Dr. Lant Abernathy will be heading north two to three times per month to see patients and perform surgeries in King City.
Witnessing his father contentedly practice medicine for 35 years, and accompanying him on medical missions, Abernathy became hooked. He not only got to see a lot of the world, but also witnessed the gratification of medical service in underserved areas in Honduras, Peru, Bhutan and Tanzania.
“I saw the satisfaction of giving back, the value of helping ease suffering, and experienced patients’ gratitude firsthand,” he said.
Growing up on a ranch in Paso Robles, Abernathy helped out on the family-run 10-acre vineyard, which began as his father’s hobby, “growing grapes on the side.” He worked irrigating, pruning and picking grapes. He enjoyed working with his hands — and as his medical journey progressed, hands-on surgery was a natural fit.
As an avid outdoorsman and athlete (he enjoys backpacking, hunting, fishing, snowboarding, surfing and track and field), his interest in sports medicine grew. He considered the mechanics of the human body and surgery “very cool concepts.”
Abernathy witnessed family and friends with different sorts of orthopedic injuries and his choice was sealed as he shadowed an orthopedist working on foot and ankle injuries in medical school.
“People often take their feet for granted until they can’t walk,” Abernathy said. “Once they realize their mobility and often their identity has been lost, they worry about restoring their independence. My job is to help people walk from one place to another and to be functional. Sometimes, there are longer recovery times associated with surgery, but I enjoy bringing activities and joy back into people’s lives and providing a pain-free existence. Standing upright and walking is what made us human.”
As medicine becomes increasingly specialized, he credits his residency program with its “off-service” rotations as a critical aspect of his training.
“Having the opportunity to assist such varied procedures as plastic and hand surgeries, cancerous tumors and vascular trauma surgeries gives you an interdisciplinary approach and broadens your understanding of treatments,” Abernathy said.
Abernathy did his undergraduate studies in Redlands, Calif., medical school in Pomona, completed his residency in North Virginia, and conducted a fellowship in Arizona — but California is home, and he’s glad to be back. He lives in San Luis Obispo with his English Bulldog and has been in private practice since September 2023.
Through the grapevine, he learned about MMHS and thought, “I could be of service; there might be a need for my specialty in the area.”
From the most basic neuromas to more severe arthritic ankles, Abernathy enjoys restoring people’s range of motion. He is excited to join the providers at Mee and is looking forward to getting people mobile again.
