US ODP Soccer Team. My most memorable experiences included assisting with a distal radius reduction in clinic, learning to cast and remove sutures, learning to interpret MRIs and X-rays, and observing a rotator cuff surgery.
The experience built my self confidence in recognizing, assessing, managing and rehabbing athletes on and off the field, especially when having to travel internationally with high level athletes when language and medical treatment options are limited. It also enhanced my treatment skills and confidence in the physical therapy clinical setting. As an ATC working in a physical therapy clinic setting, the established close physician/athletic trainer relationship improved the success rate of patient rehabilitation and patient outcomes.
Downers Grove South High School, Past IATA President, First Program Director. The benefit to each cannot be overstated. The physician is afforded more time to focus on the advanced level skills and techniques while the athletic trainer can manage the mid-level skill sets. This mid-level component is unique in that the athletic trainer serves as an authoritative and skilled bridge between the physician and patient. When working optimally, the collaboration frees up time and resources by both professionals so more time and energy can be spent focusing on the patient. Not only does this mean sharing in clinical tasks/duties, but also the administrative components of running the practice.
Elite Gymnastics Club. Watching how Dr. Chudik interacts with the patients/families. Not a day went by that Dr. Chudik wouldn’t allow his already full schedule to be overbooked so that an emergency injury could be checked or a past patient could come in and get reassurance. Even with being overbooked, he spent time with each patient/family and made sure to answer each question. That’s how a surgeon/physician should be and it’s refreshing to be able to refer to him and know our patients are well taken care of. Having a patient every five minutes and walking into each exam room with a smile is a task on its own and he did this every day. He let his patients know they were more than just an injury or a paycheck…that they were real people with worries and concerns. If I ever get frustrated, I think back to this and am humbled to have been able to work with Dr. Chudik, Brian and Katie.
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.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to have spent the year working with Dr. Chudik through the OTRF Athletic Training Residency Program. This program expanded my knowledge and skills in the orthopaedic clinical and surgical setting more than I ever thought possible. Following graduation from the University of Kansas in May 2018, I packed my bags and moved about 8 hours away from home to attend this program. Not only has the experience directed my professional life, but the friendships I have made with Dr. Chuik’s team are invaluable – the administrative team, Physician Assistants, surgical technologists, and fellow Athletic Trainers, everyone is willing to lend a helping hand and provide the residents with endless opportunities to learn. Dr. Chudik also allows his Athletic Trainers full hands on experience, not only in clinic, but also in the operating room. He allows and expects his ATs to make clinical decisions and puts full trust in our ability. I have grown so much as a clinician over the past year and am so appreciative of the knowledge and skills gained through the OTRF Athletic Training Residency and Dr. Chudik.
Working in Dr. Chudik’s clinic as an Athletic Trainer expanded my knowledge of injuries, evaluation, treatment and skills that I might not have had the chance to see elsewhere in my career now as a high school athletic trainer and ACI for Lewis University’s athletic training program. The time in clinic with Dr. Chudik also prepared me to handle questions from injured athletes and their parents so I can tell them what to expect when they see an orthopaedist which eases their fears and provides some comfort during the stressful time of an injury. The skills, knowledge and professional relationships I developed during my time in Dr. Chudik’s clinic are invaluable and will benefit my athletes for years to come.