Q&A

Background

1. He has several roles at Winneshiek Medical Center. One is the Chief Medical Officer. In this role, he is the physician who partners with the Chief Administrative Officer. He is a podiatrist, which focuses on the lower extremities – specifically the foot and ankle. Before Decorah, Dr. Marquardt did private practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

How did he choose his career path?

• When he was in college, he did some job shadowing, leading him to this path. According to him, podiatry has a good blend of clinical work and surgical work. This is what excited him about this career and still does excite him. In addition, this field of work is challenging.

What does he find the most rewarding?

• The interactions – both in the clinical world as well as the administrative world. Positive relationships are rewarding. Patients with trauma and injuries are in a time of need and he can help. There is the opportunity to make big decisions for large groups of people as a part of the administrative team. With those decisions comes high reward, but also high risk.

How is patient care different with the older generation?

• We are an active population and are living longer; our bodies eventually wear out. The biggest challenges are logistical. How do they get their care? How do we get them to get their care? Can we deliver that care to them? COVID made an impact on the healthcare world, which opened doors for telemedicine. That has been a huge advancement. 

What is the worst part about his job?

• Crucial conversations with both admin and patients. Things don’t always go well, and having patient conversations can be difficult. 

Have you had any setbacks?

• The educational process would probably be his biggest setback. Schooling is tough, whether that be a certain class or an exam. Just when you get past one hurdle, there is another waiting for you. 

Does he have any advice?

• Job shadow. You want to experience as much as you can and ask as many questions as you have. Speak with people who are in that job field.

Arthritis is plaguing so many… are we getting anywhere?

• There are many different types of arthritis… some are very metabolic (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gouty arthritis). Those things are influenced by the individual themselves. There are surgical options to address arthritis – total knee arthroplasty and fusions. We are making advancements, though. 

Have you ever thought about going back and changing your career?

• No, not really. Medicine is a hard path and it is not about the money. Work-life balance is very important to have. He tries to still continue his hobbies outside of work.

Background

1. Anna is a physical therapist who works at Good Samaritan Hospital. She attended Western Washington University for her undergraduate degree, which was a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology. She then went on to get her graduate degree at the Univerity of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

What is it like working in a level two trauma center?

1. She is what is considered the acute care discipline of physical therapy. She is working in an inpatient setting since the patients are admitted to the hospital. Her biggest role is to help people move better while in the hospital.

Does she work a lot with pulmonary and cardiology groups?

1. Yes, she works with it all. 

As someone who works in a bigger hospital, does she work with a lot of different cases?

1. Some therapists do specialize. They have one PT at her workplace that specializes in the ICU, that is her passion. Another PT specializes in joints. Anna is considered “general” because she is a new grad and wants more experience in all areas.

Did she know this was going to be her career path?

1. She didn’t know for a long time. By the time she was a senior she knew. Growing up, she was into sports and that was where she gained exposure to the field. She did not know that a hospital was where she wanted to work until her clinical rotation. It is more flexible than a clinic and offers a better work-life balance.

Does she have any recommendations on getting internships?

1. You can work as an aide in a clinic or if you want a more specific setting, it is usually on a shadow basis. Just reach out.

How did COVID impact her schooling?

1. It was the end of her first year when COVID hit. They ended up going online the second semester of her first year. When she came back from summer break, her program went hybrid. Luckily, they did all the hands on that they needed. It was hard, but she didn't feel like she was thrown into the job - she genuinely felt like she was prepared to enter the workforce.

What is her favorite treatment?

1. BVVP vertigo treatment is her favorite. These pateints feel like the room is spinning and are often times nauseous and vomiting. After one treatment, they can be up to 75% recovered with decreased symptoms. People are so grateful so that is rewarding.

What does she do when a patient needs motivated?

1. Educate them. The patient is going to need to want to change. Try to educate as much as you can, but in the end, you have to let them do what they want.

In a hospital setting, do you see these patients once or do they come back to the point where you can build relationships?

1. A hospital is a lot faster paced. It all depends on why they are there and what their issues are. She dealt with a patient from October to February so there are long-term patients you deal with.

How often do you use research?

1. A lot more in grad school than when in the field. She does not like research papers because they are boring and hard to read and hasn’t read a research paper since she has been out of school. She reads books about other people’s opinions and research, which fits her style of learning better.