To say I was a little nervous being selected as the first athletic trainer in OTRF’s residency program, would be an understatement. But once entrenched in the program I was so glad I was the one they chose. The opportunity to get hands on training so I could work alongside an orthopaedic surgeon in his practice and assist him in surgery changed my life professionally and even personally.
Since finishing my residency with Dr. Chudik, I put my news skills to work right away working for another orthopaedic surgeon until I relocated for personal reasons. My move didn’t impact my career as people in other occupations often find. I accepted an athletic training position in primary care sports medicine at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and transitioned to become the first athletic trainer to work with the Orthopaedic Surgery teams. My OTRF residency experience undoubtedly helped me land this position and transition smoothly. It also gave me the courage and desire to become a Certified Physician Builder for EPIC (the electronic medical records system) we use at Children’s. This allows me to custom-build templates for personalized documentation, preferences and overall look of the EMR to help with our efficiency. It also was a big milestone for me as most people who are certified are either physicians or advanced practice providers.
I often wonder how different my career would have been without the OTRF residency program opportunity and how thankful I am to Dr. Chudik and OTRF. I not only found exciting and rewarding career opportunities, but also met my husband while living in Illinois during the residency program so I think I can say OTRF and Dr. Chudik changed my life.