Director of Research, Derek Yocum, Ph.D., leads a team of three research fellows in the Todd Graham Fellowship program at South Bend Orthopaedics. Sponsored by SBO, the Fellowship gives pre-med students valuable clinical experience as they prepare to attend medical school. In addition to conducting research, they also job shadow our orthopaedic physicians and support them in publishing their work.
Out of a large pool of applicants, Jacob, Brennan and Lilah were selected to be fellows this year. Each of them graduated from the University of Notre Dame last year and will spend a year being mentored by our research director and a rotation of physicians.
Jacob graduated with a degree in neuroscience and behavior and previously conducted psychology research on campus for more than half of his undergraduate career. As a science pre-professional major, Brennan performed vector surveillance research in our community with a Notre Dame biology faculty member. While earning a double major in biology and philosophy, Lilah conducted virology research at Notre Dame with another faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences and plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. next year.
After beginning his shadowing experience with South Bend Orthopaedics physicians, Jacob wrote the following blog:
I’m Treating You, Not Your X-Ray
As a Research Coordinator at South Bend Orthopaedics, I spend six weeks at a time shadowing physicians in different orthopedic specialties. I am currently rotating with a shoulder and knee surgeon, and one lesson has already stood out: orthopedic surgery isn’t about operating whenever something looks abnormal—it’s about helping people return to the lives they want to live.
One of the phrases I’ve heard repeatedly is, “I’m treating you, not your X-ray.” At first, that surprised me. If an MRI shows a torn tendon or an X-ray reveals severe arthritis, why wouldn’t surgery be the obvious answer?
The answer is that orthopedic care is about improving a person’s quality of life, not simply fixing every abnormal image. A surgeon’s first questions are rarely about what the X-ray looks like. Instead, they’re about life. Can you sleep through the night? Can you climb stairs? Play with your grandchildren? Walk the dog? Enjoy a round of golf? If the answer is yes, surgery may not be the right next step, even if imaging looks concerning.
I’ve watched patients leave clinic with recommendations for physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, injections, weight loss, smoking cessation, or simply more time. Surgery is often reserved for when pain begins limiting the activities that matter most.
One thing that has stood out to me is how much the decision belongs to the patient. Rather than telling someone they need surgery, I’ve heard surgeons say, “You tell me.” They invite patients to weigh how much their symptoms affect their lives before deciding together on the best path forward.
That perspective has changed the way I think about orthopedic medicine. The goal isn’t to fix every joint—it’s to help every patient return to the life they want to live.