A career in medicine is worthwhile because it is an honor to be a positive influence on my patients and forge trusting relationships to provide them with the best care.
Name of practice or hospital where you currently work
Harris Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Specialty
Sports Medicine
What my Practice looks like today
I am practicing as a primary care sports medicine physician in a rural orthopedic practice. We treat patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly. I provide all the non-surgical orthopedic care ranging from fracture care, exercise prescriptions, using osteopathic manipulation, and various injection therapies. I am also the team physician for a local Division 1 college and 8 area high schools in the region.
What is the best advice you can give a medical student to help them in their path towards being a physician?
Continue to remember why you chose your profession in the first place because it will help guide you when you inevitably hit low points in academics and your workplace. Be compassionate to those around you. Be continually teachable because, in medicine, learning is a lifelong journey. Be sure to figure out how to maintain a good balance between your medicine life and your personal life.
What are your fondest memories about your time at VCOM?
The friendships I made with my classmates are still the best. They are still some of the closest friends that I have to this day, and I am proud to call them colleagues. Plus, it is still fun to travel and reconnect with them even though we are in different cities and practices.
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What career accomplishments are you most proud of?
Passing all of my boards and achieving my goal of becoming a primary care sports medicine physician working with athletes of all ages. It is an honor to be a team physician at both the collegiate and high school levels.
I am pleased to be a DO because
I am pleased to be a DO because instead of focusing on a disease or symptom, I utilize the whole person approach to practice medicine and promote healthy lifestyles. In addition, I utilize OMT as another tool to treat and care for my patients, which has been a game-changer for some of them who thought they would be subject to taking medication for their pain.
A career in medicine is worthwhile because
A career in medicine is worthwhile because it is an honor to positively influence my patients and forge trusting relationships to provide them with the best care. It is also a career filled with lifelong learning opportunities to continually challenge myself to be a better doctor every day.
When not working, what activities do you enjoy?
Staying active, whether it's running or playing sports. I have been on a lot of hiking adventures, which allows me to appreciate the beauty of the world around us. Also, spending time with close friends and family is always great.