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My Background
I was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in a D.C. suburb
- Laytonsville, Maryland. My father was a high school teacher for over 40
years and my mother was a physical therapist. The youngest of 3 children,
I spent much of my formative years in North Carolina as our entire extended
family lives there. I was glad to finally become a full fledged 'southerner' when I
went to Greenville, SC to attend Furman University.
While at Furman I was involved as a worship
leader in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)...so involved that I ended up
marrying another member of the worship team! I was a Psychology major but
during my senior year I became quite interested in pursuing medicine as a
career. I graduated from Furman then worked for several years while taking
pre-medical coursework and putting my new wife through graduate school.
I then entered medical school at Bowman Gray School of
Medicine. The school name changed and I was actually a member of the first
graduating class of Wake Forest University School of Medicine. I was a
leader in CMDS (Christian Medical & Dental Society) and was also inducted into
Alpha Omega Alpha which is a prestigious medical honor society.
During my 4 years at Bowman Gray I became passionate about
Orthopaedic Surgery as a career. I loved Winston-Salem and the
Orthopaedics department is second to none in the entire country therefore I was
excited when I was asked to stay at Wake Forest to complete my Orthopaedic
surgery training under the chairmanship of Dr. Gary Poehling. In addition
to his role as a surgeon and chairman, Dr. Poehling is the chief editor of the
Arthroscopy journal which is the most valued publication for arthroscopic and
sports medicine surgeons. As a Chief resident in Orthopaedic surgery I
took care of the Deamon Deacons football team as well as the Winston-Salem State
Rams football team.
Five years and 3 children later I had completed my Orthopaedic training and
decided to perform a year of specialized training (a fellowship). I
was honored to be invited to spend a year with Dr. Stephen Burkhart in San
Antonio, TX to train in arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Dr. Burkhart is
arguably the most prominent shoulder surgeon in the world and has been the
foremost pioneer in the field of arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He has
published over 100 journal articles and his theories on rotator cuff
biomechanics have revolutionized the surgical treatment of this common
orthopaedic problem. In addition to his exceptional surgical and research
skills, Dr. Burkhart was the president of AANA (Arthroscopy Association of North
America) which is one of the most influential organizations in all of
Orthopaedic surgery.
 Next
I searched the southeast for the perfect practice opportunity and this lead me
to Knoxville, TN. During the interview process I flew in over the Smokey
mountains and had
dinner by the Tennessee river and needless to say I was extremely interested in Knoxville. Once I saw Neyland
stadium and envisioned the excitement of SEC football, I was convinced that this
was the city for me.
Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics was clearly the perfect fit for me and the
type of practice I wished to develop.
So it's been a wonderful and exciting journey which has
lead me to Knoxville. Every step of the journey has been a complete
blessing. I have been trained by some of the greatest orthopaedic surgeons
in the world and I cherish their mentorship as well as their friendships.
My family and I are thrilled to be in Knoxville and build our lives
here!
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