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 was the assistant team physician for
the Wake Forest University 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!