Dr. Pete Lalor, a bariatric surgeon and medical director in Ohio, launched from Amherst College to Ireland to the hockey rinks of Holland—but today we find him leading a surgical weight loss program. A former student-athlete, Pete shares how his performance mentality evolved from athletics into medicine, and why he remains a student of psychology even decades after majoring in it at Amherst.
Pete opens up about parenting five kids, the future of medicine (including the hype and limitations of GLP-1 weight loss drugs), and how youth sports today have left him feeling torn about their value and trade-offs. He also reflects on how emotional intelligence is a critical skill, whether you’re in the operating room or the living room.
Key Takeaways:
- His enduring interest in psychology helps him be a more empathetic physician and parent.
- Pete’s perspective on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic is nuanced: they can help, but they’re no magic bullet for obesity.
- The values he absorbed at Amherst and in sports—grit, teamwork, performance—still shape his life today.
- How he’s envisioning the next 20 years, including how he might apply his extensive experience and curiosities in a new direction.
- The two Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next.
To get in touch with Pete, email him at petelalor@hotmail.com and learn more about his practice at http://www.woodcountyhospital.org.
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