Joshua Eisenberg, MD
Joshua was born in Spring Grove, IL to Mark and Brenda Eisenberg. Growing up in a small blue-collar town between Chicago and Milwaukee, his parents taught Josh and younger sister Jordan the early importance of work ethic and dedication.
Josh graduated from Richmond-Burton High School in 2010. He was a three-sport athlete competing in Football, Wrestling and Track. During the winters he also raced snowmobiles where he rose to the semi-pro level in snocross. Early on Josh wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as an aircraft mechanic, however developed a love for science in high school, and decided to pursue medicine. Josh chose to attend Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, mostly because of the nice trees on campus. During his years in college, he competed in the Decathlon earning All-American recognition and he still holds the indoor Heptathlon school record to this day.
Josh attended Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. He got involved with research early on in Dr. John Callaci’s lab looking at the effects of binge alcohol consumption on fracture healing. Already a connoisseur of adult beverages, he developed an interest in orthopedics. Josh came to the University of Iowa during his last year of medical school as a rotating student, and after the first day realized this was the best orthopedic residency in the country.
While at Iowa, Josh developed an interest in large database studies particularly in the spine population. Under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Pugely, they were able to identify modifiable risk factors that affect outcomes in spine surgery. Iowa has been known for its long-term patient outcomes studies which gave Josh the idea for his current senior project, Long Term Outcomes Following Tibial Plafond Fractures. Like many Iowans, he also has not ventured very far from home.
Following graduation Josh will pursue a fellowship in spine surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He has come to terms that he will be more than 200 miles from home. Josh and his fiancée Taylor will plan to return to the Midwest following fellowship
Josh would like to thank his parents for their continued support throughout this journey. His wife Taylor for keeping him levelheaded. Dr. Igram for believing in him while he was a medical student along with Drs. Pugely and Weinstein for their continued mentorship and support. Finally, he would like to thank his co-residents and all the staff that have joined him for happy hour or a day out on the lake.
James Kohler, MD
James was born and raised in Ames, IA where he spent the first 18 years of his life. Growing up in central Iowa, he enjoyed all things outdoors. He participated in sports year-round and was always out fishing on the local rivers whenever there was down time. His father was a research scientist for the USDA and his mother was a social worker. He chose to attend The University of Evansville in Indiana for college, where he competed four years for the baseball team. Following undergraduate education, he was fortunate to return to Iowa for medical school.
James’ initial interest in medicine and the field of orthopedics is hard to pin down. Perhaps it was the combination of a science background from his father and humanitarian background from his mother. Perhaps it was his interest in manual labor and dexterous work. Or perhaps it was his love for engaging in sports or outdoor hobbies, and the ability to connect with patients by seeing them succeed in similar endeavors. Regardless of how or when it occurred, James ultimately found a deep interest in caring for patients and the field of orthopedics. He was fortunate to match into the Iowa Orthopedic residency upon completing medical school to continue his training.
James found interest in clinically based projects, with the goal of answering clinically relevant questions that may be directly applied to patient care. Several of his projects dealt with dental hygiene and pre- procedural dental screening for arthroplasty patients. During his time in residency, he was able to develop several great mentors within the arthroplasty department during his early years of residency. He would like to acknowledge the tremendous guidance and education he received from Drs. Timothy Brown and Jacob Elkins.
The path has not been an easy one and would not have been possible without the unwavering love and support of his parents, his sister, and his wife Kelsie with their beautiful daughters, Brynnlie and Rylie. His love and excitement for orthopedics comes in 2nd compared to the joy his growing family has brought him over the past 4 years. Whenever he is not in the hospital, he is often dragging his kids along on whatever outdoor adventures the season affords, from ice fishing in the winter to forest hikes in the fall. James would also like to thank his co-residents and faculty for supporting him throughout residency. The endeared “Turkey Camp” corner of the resident room was one of frequent laughter, storytelling, and hard work, all of which afforded tremendous comradery and friendships that will last far beyond residency.
Following residency, James will be attending The University of Wisconsin Adult Reconstruction Fellowship. He is excited to further his training in complex adult reconstruction and gain the tools necessary for a successful arthroplasty career.
Scott Muffly, MD
Scott was born and raised in Corbin, KY, the youngest of three. As the son of a physician, the idea of becoming a doctor intrigued him from an early age. His passion for an active lifestyle and his love for science and math lead him to study biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, where his musculoskeletal education solidified his decision to become an orthopedist. He subsequently completed his medical degree at Virginia Commonwealth University, then moved to Iowa City for his orthopedic surgery residency training. When not at work, Scott enjoys running, cycling, hiking, reading, and spending time with his family.
Scott’s research pursuits during residency have centered around his interest in adult hip and knee reconstruction, particularly perioperative patient optimization. Specifically, he has published on early emergency department visits following primary total joint arthroplasty, as well as considerations for presurgical BMI thresholds in total knee arthroplasty candidates. His senior research project investigating at-home total knee arthroplasty telerehabilita-tion seeks to further understand the perioperative patient experience, particularly given the rapid integration of telemedicine and personal smart technology driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following residency graduation, Scott will attend an adult reconstruction fellowship at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA.
Scott would like to thank his wife, Alexandra, and son, Eli, for their unwavering love and support during his medical training. He would also like to thank his parents, David and Cara Muffly, for a lifetime of encouragement. He is excited to continue working with his co-residents and staff during his chief resident year.
Michael Russell, MD, MPH, MBA
While Mike may like to claim Texas as his home state, he was actually born and raised in rural Pennsylvania. Born to Family Medicine doctors, Gary and Susan Russell, he was exposed to healthcare from an early age. As part of his upbringing, he was also exposed to global health on a regular basis and would routinely spend part of his year in either Honduras or Kenya on medical missions trips.
Despite this early draw into healthcare, Mike elected to forgo the “family craft” and pursue a career in automotive engineering at Kettering University in Flint, MI. Here he majored in Chemical Engineering and concomitantly worked for General Motors throughout undergraduate working on alternative energy technology for automotive purposes. It was during his junior year of undergraduate during a medical mission trip to Haiti with his father that he realized that his true passion was healthcare.
Mike attended medical school at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX where he was able to also pursue combined programs in public health and business administration. Most importantly, it was in Lubbock that Mike met his future wife and lifelong adventure partner, Rebekah. They were married during his 4th year in medical school and were elated to match at the University of Iowa for residency.
While in Iowa City, Mike and Rebekah have been actively involved in their church, Veritas, and have been blessed with two daughters, Everest Mikah (3) and Adelaide Rebekah (1). They have loved the Iowa City community, Hawkeye athletics, beer league hockey, and archery hunting (Last one may be mostly for Mike….)
From a research perspective, Mike’s focus has been centered on global health and he spent the majority of both his 3rd and 4th year research blocks doing international rotations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras, and Malawi. These research blocks were extremely pivotal in helping to shape and affirm Mike and Rebekah’s career plans which are focused on global health.
Upon the completion of residency, Mike and Rebekah will be pursuing a sarcoma fellowship at UCLA. When that is completed, they plan on moving to East Africa to help establish a sarcoma program in conjunction with CURE International and Pan African Council of Christian Surgeons (PACCS). Mike would love to focus on pediatric sarcoma care and resident education and medical training.
Mike would like to thank his parents Gary and Susan Russell for their constant positive influences both spiritually and professionally in his life. He would also like to thank his wife for her constant love and support. Her incredible joy and selflessness has been such a blessing and support to Mike throughout residency.
Malynda Wynn, MD
Malynda grew up in small town Ohio as an only child, raised as a joint effort of her grandparents and aunt. Their encouragement of ongoing education fostered an interest in pursuing college, and Malynda was the first in her family to graduate from college, and eventually she graduated from medical school at the University of Cincinnati.
During medical school, Malynda stumbled into the field of orthopedics after being paired for a shadowing experience with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. It only took one day in the operating room to know that she wanted to become a surgeon. It was the patient population, quality of life improvement provided, and like- minded people in the field that drew Malynda to orthopedic surgery.
Malynda’s main research interests involve how to improve orthopedic residency as well as promote diversity within the field. Pipeline programs including The Perry Initiative, and the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society Mentorship have been important experiences for Malynda and will continue to be part of her career. More recently, she developed an interest in healthcare cost and clinical outcomes related to her chosen subspecialty field of orthopedic trauma as she continues to be amazed by the unique and creative ways people find to injure themselves.
Malynda is excited to pursue a fellowship in orthopedic trauma surgery after graduation. She recently has matched into a fellowship position at Indiana University Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. She feels fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from well-rounded and highly respected surgeons in Indiana after graduation. She is most interested in upper extremity trauma including shoulder arthroplasty in the setting of fracture.
Malynda has several people to thank, as her achievements would not have been possible without the support of her family and friends. Her husband, John, deserves the most thanks for his unconditional love, sacrifice and encouragement through both medical school and residency. Her two cats, Tonks and Albus (both Harry Potter namesakes), also deserve thanks for being wonderful emotional support animals and a reason to keep coming to work so they can live their best life. She would also like to thank the support of her grandmother and aunt. Finally, she would like to thank her amazing faculty mentors who have been instrumental in helping to shape her training as an orthopedic surgeon, including Dr. Weinstein, Dr. Marsh, Dr. Fowler, and Dr. Hogue. She feels grateful to continue training with some of the remarkable leaders in the field of orthopedics.