Meet the Class of 2023

What three words best describe orthopedic residency?

"Pretty freaking hard"

What pre-residency hobby of yours has been the easiest to adapt to Oklahoma / residency?  And the hardest?

I was able to start racing motocross again!  No easy access to snowboarding, though.

What's one item you want to own that you don’t?

I need a road race motorcyle.

How do you prefer to start your day?

Roll out of bed, brush teeth, snag some coffee from the pot, and I'm out the door.  In the team room within 15 minutes, door to door.

What's on your Oklahoma bucket list?

Check out our Tulsa public park, go to the Arbuckle Mountains, fish at Broken Bow, and go to a concert at the Zoo Amphitheatre.

What's the first concert you ever attended?

Def Leppard at the OKC Bricktown Ballpark.  It was like ten years ago, well before I lived here!

What advancement do you think will have the biggest impact on orthopedic surgery over the next 5 - 10 years?

Geeze, tough question.  I'd probably say it's honestly our ability to access education online across thousands of sites and expand our knowledge on each exponentially with just a laptop.

What city in the US would you say is most opposite to life in OKC?

Most opposite of life in OKC is probably Miami, Florida.  In Miami, there's a lot of beachfront, and it's more of a party city.  It has a culture and diversity all its own, with an incredible Latinx population.  OKC is becoming more varied culturally, but it's inland, not near a beach, and definitely doesn't have Miami's distinctive vibe.  I would say, though, that for me, it feels more my pace - a little less crazy and chaotic.  And it's a great place to raise a family; a place that feels like home.

What's your go-to karaoke song?

Hands down, it's Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks.  Gotta stay local.

What's a big misconception people have about residency?

That you don't have time for hobbies.  I've been able to keep up with my favorite hobbies and even found some new ones during residency.

Tell us something that might surprise us about your Ortho family.

I bonded with my best friend in the program over a Dallas sports radio station that we both listen to.

What is your biggest irrational fear?

That I'll die of a black widow bite… I don't think I've ever even seen one in real life.

Why did you choose orthopedics?  And would you choose it again?

I chose to go into medicine knowing I wanted to do some type of surgical specialty.  While in medical school, I decided on orthopedics because I liked the idea of returning quality of life and function to people without being in life-and-death scenarios every day.  I felt it was the biggest difference I could make while maintaining my own happiness.  I may not have chosen to go into medicine at all if I had to start all over!  But of all the medical specialties, I am very happy that I ended up in orthopedics, and I'd choose ortho again.

When you need to relax and reset, where do you like to go?

My favorite place to go to truly reset is back to my hometown in Texas to see my family and baby nephew (who is the cutest baby ever).  Unfortunately, going home is not always feasible, especially during COVID, so I spend my time relaxing with friends here in the city or curled up on the couch watching Netflix.

What animal would be the most terrifying if it could speak?

I think if birds could talk, it would be super scary.  I hate birds anyway, but I can't imagine them talking.  I mean, walking my dog before work in the morning in the dark and having a bird be like, "hey, what's up lady?" but in a creepy deep voice.  That would not be okay.

What's one professional skill you're currently working on?

Surgical approaches, for sure.  And I'm constantly striving to become better as a surgeon and in preserving anatomy.

What is one thing that has made Oklahoma the right choice for you?

Family.  Both the family atmosphere in the program and the ability to be close to my family and my wife's family (we're both Okies).  Makes all the difference in the world!

What is something that makes you feel old?

When my sister-in-law, who lives with us and is in college, comes home talking in her cool slang that I in no way understand.  Also, what is TikTok??