After his graduation he moved to New York and studied orthopaedic surgery under the renowned Dr. Lewis Albert Sayer and Dr. Newton Shaffer.
A ward was set aside at City and County Hospital in St. Paul the state providing braces and surgical appliances at minimal cost.
Dr. Gillette married Katherine Kennedy, a school teacher at the hospital, in 1905.
The couple began an annual tradition of inviting young patients to have a picnic on the grounds of their St. Paul mansion.
The number of patients Dr. Gillette served outgrew the space at City and County Hospital and the need for a separate institution was apparent.