Dr. Thomas Gratzer

Thomas Gratzer, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 30 years of professional experience in general and forensic psychiatry. Over the course of his career, he has worked at respected hospitals and treatment centers throughout Minnesota, including Regions Hospital, United Hospital, Fairview University Medical Center, and Psych Recovery. His daily responsibilities include extensive patient care and forensic psychiatric evaluations, reflecting his continued dedication to mental health treatment and psychiatric assessment.

Throughout his career, Dr. Thomas Gratzer has held several influential positions in forensic psychiatry and correctional mental health services. From 1995 to 2002, he served as Senior Forensic Psychiatrist at the Minnesota Security Hospital. He later became a consulting psychiatrist for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, where he provided psychiatric care to incarcerated youth. His work in institutional and forensic settings strengthened his expertise in behavioral assessment and complex psychiatric treatment.

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Gratzer has contributed extensively to psychiatric education and academic medicine. He served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School from 2002 through 2021. During his academic career, he lectured to medical students, psychiatry residents, and law students and taught at institutions in the United States and Canada. His educational efforts helped prepare future professionals in psychiatry and forensic mental health.

Dr. Gratzer also possesses a strong background in computer science and software development. During his early academic years, he won first prize at the Manitoba Science Fair for a computer program and later participated in Prince Philip’s International Science Fortnight in London. He co-authored FAST BASIC: Beyond TRS 80 BASIC, a programming book that achieved strong sales, and later contributed to the development of VP Info, a database programming language for IBM personal computers.

His accomplishments further include numerous publications in peer-reviewed psychiatric journals covering forensic psychiatry, compulsive behavior, psychopharmacology, and mental health law. Dr. Gratzer received several research honors, including awards from the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. His scholarly work has contributed to improving the understanding of psychiatric treatment and forensic mental health evaluation within both academic and clinical settings.

Born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Dr. Thomas Gratzer completed his medical degree, psychiatric residency, and postgraduate training at the University of Manitoba before pursuing a forensic psychiatry fellowship in Chicago. Outside of his professional responsibilities, he enjoys skiing, tennis, travel, exercise, and fine dining. He remains committed to supporting educational and mental health initiatives while continuing to contribute to psychiatry through patient care, teaching, and research.