Alumni Highlights

July 2026 – Justin Arner ’09

Justin Arner is the July Alumni Highlight!

Join Shepherd University Alumni Association President Randy Friend and Director of Alumni Affairs Katie Swayne as they sit down with Dr. Justin Arner ’09, an orthopedic surgeon with UPMC Sports Medicine, assistant physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and physician for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. In this inspiring alumni spotlight, Dr. Arner shares his journey from Shepherd’s MedStep Program to a nationally recognized career in sports medicine. He discusses the impact of mentorship, his experiences working with elite athletes around the world, studying abroad in Russia, balancing family and career, and the lessons Shepherd University taught him about leadership, relationships, and lifelong learning. Whether you’re a current student, alumnus, or aspiring healthcare professional, this conversation offers valuable insights into building a successful career through passion, perseverance, and community.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Katie Swayne: Hi everybody, it’s Katie Swayne, Director of Alumni Affairs. We’re here again with our July alumni Highlight. Of course, we have Randy Friend, our President of the Alumni Association, to lead our interview today. So, Randy, take it away.

Randy Friend: Yeah, thanks, Katie, and welcome back, everybody, for another wonderful interview. One I’m pretty excited about on this one. I have a lot of questions. for Dr. Justin Arner, only because I just went through rotator cuff surgery, so we’re going to hit on all the things that is wrong with me right now. But, before we dig into that, I’m going to let Justin just do an introduction of himself. A little bit about his background, and then we’re just going to start talking about how you got the Shepherd all the way to what you’re doing now, and some of the amazing things that I’ve had an opportunity to kind of dig in. So, Justin, a quick introduction for everybody joining us today.

Justin Arner: Thanks, Katie and Randy. I’m really excited to talk with you guys, today about this. Shepherd has a special place in my heart. I, you know, met my wife there. She, went to college there, and my best friends are still, you know, former college athletes, and… guys I went to college with, so this is really exciting for me, too. I’m almost giddy, it’s so exciting, so… I graduated in, I guess, 2009 from Shepherd. I was a biology major. I grew up in a small town in western Pennsylvania between Erie and Pittsburgh named Clarion. And I, ended up… I played football, basketball, and baseball in high school, and I was looking for a place to go to… medical school, and I was interested in orthopedic surgery. I had a shoulder dislocation when I was a senior in high school playing football, and then I had surgery by Jim Bradley, who’s actually my partner now here in Pittsburgh. an orthopedic surgeon when I was 17. So I kind of fell in love with the opportunity after watching him in the operating room, and seeing him see patients, and, you know, seeing the Steelers with him. He’s been the Steelers doctor for over 30-some years, so it’s an honor to help him do that now. But I wanted to go to medical school, and I came across these different types of programs that allow you to have early acceptance or guaranteed acceptance if you keep certain GPAs and things, and my mom actually, funny enough, came across a press release when she was in a deep Google dive back in 2000, I guess that would have been 2008, I’m sorry, 2004, or five, and found this press release, and there was really not any information out there, but there weren’t too many programs like it, but the MedStep program with a cooperative medical school program with WVU, so… You can see my back, my Shepherd football helmet I found in my jerseys, and my WVU logo that a patient got for me a couple years ago. So I went down and interviewed with with, folks at the university, Shepherd, and I really loved the campus. It was, really interesting, and such a beautiful area I’d never been to before, right along the Potomac, as you can see in your background there, and it was a small school, which is what I wanted, and was interested in playing football, and… I, really liked the proximity to Washington, D.C, and it was just… felt like a real family, you know, welcoming atmosphere, and quite a bit of diversity in a liberal arts school, which is something I was interested in, and that breadth of education along different fronts, and… Then I interviewed the same day with Rosemarie Canarella, who’s, you know, a family doctor that’s been in Harpers Ferry for, you know, decades, her whole career, and really a special person, and the rest of the folks with that newly formed Eastern Division back in 2004, I guess it was. And, had a great experience there. I remember having dinner at the Thai restaurant in downtown Shepherdstown with my mom and dad afterwards, and walking around the… the adorable, you know, town with all the history and those old buildings and, you know, the battlefield so close by, Antietam, and going to Burnside Bridge and everything like that. It’s such an interesting area and beautiful area. So I really fell in love with my visit there. I really planned on going to, you know, maybe a Northeastern liberal arts school and playing football there, and when I went there with the opportunity with the MedStep program. once I was accepted there, I thought there wasn’t really a way for me to say no with that opportunity, and I remember coming back to talk to Dr. Bradley, who, you know, as my partner and I mentioned before, did my surgery. and ask them, you know, should I go to one of these schools that, you know, these very expensive Northeastern schools and, you know, apply to medical school and be a biology major or whatever, or I could, you know, take the MCAT and have to get this minimum score and keep a certain GPA average, but would keep a spot at WVU, and… he agreed it was kind of a no-brainer to take the opportunity at Shepherd, so… it was an outstanding opportunity, you know, when I got there and met people from, you know, all over as part of the football team, you know, people of different backgrounds that… from DC, and it was… it was special, and we all had this… Semi… this goal that was a common goal, and… you know, doctor, or I’m sorry, Monty Cater was such a special coach, really focused on academics and let us, you know, do labs and be late to practice, which, you know, is challenging. You know, there’s… there’s timing with these certain classes to graduate on time, and they were so flexible with all of us, realizing, you know, that was the role, and the same thing with weightlifting. times and days and everything, they really were flexible, with that, which was really awesome, and you know, like I said, I made just amazing friends from all over the state and out of state that I… That I just was with, actually, last weekend, meeting one of my friends that lives in Washington, D.C. now that’s doing awesome things as a historian for the Department of Defense, Richard Holver, and my friend who’s a dentist that was in the dental program that works in Harrisonburg as a dentist, my other Great friend who’s, has a law degree now, and works as a PhD scientist, went to USC afterwards, and they’re really doing awesome things, you know, all over the… all over the country, so… It’s a special place, I could talk for hours about it, but I’ll… I’ll let you see if you have other questions or thoughts.

Randy Friend: Yeah, no, we appreciate that. It’s always great, and you gave us a great kind of overview of how you got to Shepherd, which was a lot of my questions, really, knowing that you had played football and kind of trying to figure that out, but I do, was very, aware of the MedStep program. I thought it was a great opportunity for folks, obviously, like yourself, and gave that. kind of opportunity going to WVU to be able to do, you know, kind of that pre-med track. Associated with that. So, tell me… obviously, you did your time, you know, you finished your chapter, you went on to WVU, the School of Medicine to do all that. Take us through, like, how that got you from there to really kind of where you are today. You know, obviously you’re with UPMC Orthopedics, you’re doing the great stuff with the Bradley Sports Medicine with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it also looks like you really work with the ski and snowboard team for the U.S, is that true?

Justin Arner: Yeah, I’ve had a lot of opportunities, and I think, you know, it really started at Shepherd. You know, I have such… Fond memories, and actually, I still keep in touch with Dr. Jack Schmidt. I don’t know if you guys remember him. He was a chemistry professor there for decades and decades. I became really close friends with him, and when I went back for my third year and fourth year at… back in Martinsburg for the Eastern Division of the WVU rotations in medical school, I… you know, went to church with him when I was a student, and afterwards, and really have become… I was really good friends with him, and still in contact with him. He lives in Utah, but people like him, and Bert Litterging, and… and all these professors that, really had these amazing backgrounds. I mean, remember I had a historian that, you know, worked for the federal government, and basically they… they have these amazing jobs for the government, and… and retire, and then, you know, want to teach and kind of give back and get that fulfillment, so… it was just amazing, the professors that we had at this little school that, you know, was in West Virginia that I really hadn’t heard much about before, but, you know, you have these people with just these crazy stories, and I took a Russian history class, and hearing stories that, this… this person that I… was one of our teachers, their interactions, you know, during the Cold War, and working in the federal government, or Burt Littering, how… the Reston virus, or the Ebola strain, and… and, you know, they made movies about, basically, his, his experience in Reston, Virginia with these Ebola, and these, these monkeys, and having virology from the guy that, you know, ran Fort Detrick Virology was, pretty special opportunity, and you know, going to dinner at their houses as part of the MedStep program or other… I don’t think you get that many, many places, and I think if you, you know, you reach out to any of those people now, like I said, I still talk to Dr. Schmidt. You know, they remember you, they really had a buy-in with you, and for me, that’s been such an important thing growing up, especially in a small town where that was important, you know, the values of people, and… And, I think it was just shocking how… how many opportunities there, and there are great restaurants there. It’s just such an interesting, somewhat eclectic… region, you know, the C&O Canal path right there, and it was just such a special place, and… you know, taking the metro and bus trips to Washington, D.C. was just outstanding, so I think it really, you know, opened my eyes, and the same thing with diversity of our football team and other people. You know, I met people from all different backgrounds and become friends with them, and I think that really, you know, helps you interact with patients and people and And, and everything like that. So, you know, I went to medical school, like, like you mentioned, at WVU, and it was, it made me really appreciate, I think, Shepherd even more, you know, being that small community in our life where everyone is so supportive, and being in a bigger school is special in a different way, but… Yeah, I was able to… continue to do research as a medical student with Dr. Bradley, you know, as I… as I was in college and in medical school, whenever I was taking, you know, the breaks in summer, spring break, or whatever, I would go and shadow Dr. Bradley and other doctors. Like Bob Armstrong, in my hometown, who unfortunately passed away from a heart attack a year ago, but, spending time with them, learning more about medicine. The MedStep program really allowed me, I think, to have more clout for… rather than just being a, you know, med… pre-med student, you were kind of pre-accepted into medical school, which is really, really great opportunities it allowed for me, so I was able to get those better opportunities, I think, which helped me get into residency, so then… You know, I was an orthopedic surgery resident here in University of Pittsburgh, which was a 6-year program after the 4 years of college and four years of medical school at WVU. And I did a year of research there and really found a passion for research, which I think you know, takes me back to Shepherd, you know, the first research I ever did was with Carol Plouts, who was there for quite some time, and again, had a really interesting background. You know, she had research papers on the cover of science, which, you know, the biggest impact factor of any any journal anywhere in the world, you know, there’s special faculty there at Shepherd, and she kind of taught me, you know, the scientific method, as Dr. Literjing and others did. So all that, I think, goes back to those folks, and I do a lot of writing with research now. I remember having great English professors there, you know, so it still impacts my life, but… You know, getting through residency, and that, that personal, I think, relationship with people, I think, was something that, as I mentioned, working with patients and others, and in residency, with co-residents, and the grind of working so many hours, and then… After residency, I was lucky enough to get in to fellowship in Vail, Colorado at the Sinman Clinic in Stinman Philippine Research Institute in Vail, Colorado, so I was there for a year, and then came back here in Pittsburgh, so when I was a fellow there, I, you know, covered U.S. ski team and continued to, so I’ve… I’ve been to, you know, Austria, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, you know, Copper Mountain, all over the world, covering, the different ski team events, and I’ve done more of the, free ski, a freestyle ski, the snowboard, half-pipe kind of stuff, so it’s just such a different, environment. You know, I’ve covered a lot of high school football games and helped with that, but, you know, the U.S. ski team, is really an exciting, different, unique opportunity as there’s… those athletes, it’s not as much financial, background or support as there is in the NFL. It’s such a big business, and the, The ski folks, you know, they’re, traveling all over the world week to week, and are so thankful for you to be there, and it’s such a different trauma, you know, to be Ready to put in, you know, chest tubes, or decompress a pneumothorax, and really significant trauma, where I remember being in Kazakhstan with the Mughals team. You know, these people are… however many… I don’t know, 30… 20 feet in the air, spinning, you know, landing on your head in Kazakhstan, and the closest hospital that has, you know, an MRI is going to take you from the mountain a long time, and to take a flight to get to Germany to have, you know, medical care that the United States would want, you know, that’s probably a 7-hour flight, and to get that airplane there takes hours. So it’s a lot of planning, you know, the closest x-ray was… was not so close to the mountains, so these emergency action plans and, you know, planning, you know, how you’re even going to get there, the language is so different. is, quite complex and interesting, and takes some, other, stress and other, also interests as part of it. And, like… like you mentioned, I’ve been lucky enough to help with the Pittsburgh Steelers, For the last, 5 to 6 years, so that’s been a certainly, unique opportunity there with, really great ownership and staff and really wonderful athletic trainers and medical staff, so it’s been certainly a blessing and started, you know, growing up in Clarion at Shepherd, it’s really, been a… been a… been a great, opportunity.

Randy Friend: So, as a young kid being from Clarion, were you a Steelers, like, fan, and now, like, you’re at this moment? Like, that has to be surreal.

Justin Arner: Yeah, it’s nice. It’s special. You know, when I was a resident, I covered the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, and I remember as a kid, you know, going with my brother and my dad to hockey games and, you know, staying up late at the games and driving an hour and a half down to the arena, and I have such vivid memories, you know, my you know, Tom Barrassa flipping me a puck in the pre-op, and then being there as one of the doctors with, you know, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury, you know, going to those games in the Eastern Conference Final and the Stanley Cup Final, and seeing them win, you know, two Stanley Cups is pretty… pretty awesome as a kid, and… You know, going to watch the banner raise and being in the locker room and stuff is… it’s a really interesting learning experience, and, you know, obviously, these… these just normal people, too, you know, so they’re thankful. Sometimes it’s hard to realize that, you know, you’re the, you’re the expert there. They’re in a very vulnerable situation, so it’s… it’s a stressful thing for… for the players and the ownership, and you know, the Steelers, just like I mentioned, such a wonderful organization with the ownership and they’re so supportive and such a great organization that really cares about the right things, and, you know, they’re one of the few teams that still go to, you know, a weighted training camp in Latrobe, so going out to Latrobe. For training camp is really special, where all the players are, you know, staying in the dorms, and it’s… it’s really awesome to see that interaction, and getting other free agents coming from other places, getting their perspective of other organizations, and the NFL is, really, interesting organization with, you know, going to the NFL Physician Society meetings and the NFL Combine. You know, it’s, it’s always improving, and they always have, you know, the goal to keep it safe and let that trickle down to younger sports, which obviously is the important thing, I think, as well.

Randy Friend: So, you’re involved in all of those types of things as well, like going to the draft and those types of things in your role there?

Justin Arner: Yeah, the NFL Combine is a big part of the, you know, process where, you know, examining the players and, having them, you know, getting their history and looking at their MRIs, and it’s… it’s, it’s a complex decision-making for the ownership and coaches and general managers. So, you know, obviously Dr. Bradley is the head team physician, so I help support. He and Gabe Onponza, who’s the athletic trainer, who’s really been great, and John Norwig, who was the athletic trainer before that, and my other partner, Craig Morrow, is, is the, assistant sealers physician, and it’s just, really a great group, and… always, always something to learn from, you know, Dr. Bradley, who’s done this for just decades and decades, and the athletic training staff as well, who work with these guys day to day, so they all really rely on… on them.

Randy Friend: So, how do you manage all that? Like, I mean, between, you know, being in Kazakhstan, or overseas with the, you know, ski and snowboard team, with the Steelers, like, when are you home? Because that sounds like you’re everywhere all the time.

Justin Arner: Yeah, it’s… I like doing it, you know, the Friday night football stuff is still special, you know, I cover high school football games on Friday night, but… I’m really lucky, I think, from, you know, the support of my parents as a kid, you know, there were certain workers. My mom, you know, grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, and my dad is a hard worker as well, and you know, my wife, who I met at Shepherd, we graduated the same year, you know, she’s a… she’s a hustler, and she, you know, talking about Shepherd, she worked at NASA for 2 years after Shepherd in Palo Alto in California, and has done really amazing things, and… that’s how I’ve been able to, I think, to have all these opportunities. She’s been so supportive, you know, I’ve… been lucky enough to have the opportunities from Shepherd and WVU and going through residency, so she really gets it, because she’s been there with me since, you know, 2009, whenever we were finishing up at Shepherd, and… understands, I think, what drives me and her, and how to manage me and time, and then we have a one-year-old and a 4-year-old, so…

Randy Friend: Oh my.

Justin Arner: Certainly it’s… certainly it’s complicated with, you know, research, and it’s… it’s obviously, as you know, it’s really the people around you that allow you to do these things, like… and my… our staff here at our office, and our nurses and PAs, and… and front desk people, and people who answer the phones are so supportive and, understand, I think, the role of, you know, our first, most important thing is taking care of patients, you know, day to day, so… you know, the… the focus is that, and I think, Doing the best you can with delegating tasks for other people that are hungry to get better and learn, and it’s just like any, area of life, the support system and my wife understanding, you know, being on call at the hospital, or you know, a night game that starts at 8.20 with the Steelers, you know, you miss bedtime, and she’s going to be alone and, you know, get back until 1AM, but… it’s, part of the gig, and what she signed up for, and thankfully, is so understanding and supportive and… and a rock. So, yeah, I think that’s the only way, there’s no way… I’m not doing this all myself, it’s everyone else around me. Thankfully, helping me out.

Randy Friend: And I want to get back to that idea here in a moment, but I did see something that I found interesting in kind of your profile. If I read this correctly. Not only have you had all these kind of international travels with, you know, these different organizations, but did you also study the in Russia for a moment? Was that… is that accurate?

Justin Arner: Yeah, I can’t believe I didn’t bring that up. That was… that was such an awesome, awesome opportunity through. through Shepherd, when I was there, I was trying to find a place… I wanted to study abroad and, you know, with… with science, majors, I think in particular, I mean, it’s probably changed now, there weren’t very many opportunities to do, you know, study abroad opportunities there, you know, in the arts, sometimes it seemed easier, or history, or whatever, but the same thing, you know, missing spring ball for football or, you know, fall was not really the best option, and if you’d miss those classes, you probably would not be able to graduate. You know, on the same time period, so… I found between my junior and senior year, there was a summer program at Lomonosov University, which is MKU, Moscow State University, which is their big a big university, so I talked to Brett Zirkle, you know, my good friend who’s the PhD lawyer out in San Diego now, who was, I guess he graduated a year after us in 2010, he took a fifth year and played quarterback for Shepherd. He, he and I went, and one of my other friends from high school, went and spent, I guess it was about 10 weeks in Moscow, and it was just outstanding. We took, you know, a course with It was called operative surgery, where we, you know, learned a lot of, different techniques from… from surgeons over there, and… and… and did surgeries with them on, and, on rats and… and rabbits, and, we took, different science classes with professors that taught and met a lot of other students that were there, and became really good friends with some of those people, and honestly, I keep in touch with some of those Russian friends still. They’re really amazing people, so that was just such a unique awesome, awesome opportunity in Moscow, and something certainly I’ll never forget. Always think about just funny things that happened in the cultural and educational opportunities, the study abroad program that they allowed us to do at Shepherd is just amazing.

Randy Friend: Yeah, it is, you know, when you said it was… when I kind of read that, I think you were spot on, right? You don’t normally think of… International study opportunities for undergraduates in the sciences, right?

Justin Arner: Right.

Randy Friend: Kind of more at either master’s or pre-doctoral level type.

Justin Arner: Right.

Randy Friend: Right? So I thought that was really interesting, kind of, hearing that, and Has there ever been a moment where you’re doing something today, whether you’re doing a surgery or you’re doing a consultation, where you look back and go, you know what, actually, I learned something back when I was in Russia that could actually fit this moment.

Justin Arner: Yeah, I mean, they have.

Randy Friend: Interesting comparison, right?

Justin Arner: Yeah.

Randy Friend: Kind of the… Methods, if you will.

Justin Arner: Yeah, I just spent a month doing a traveling fellowship in Europe through our Sports Society, which is the American Orthopedic Society, Sports Medicine, AOSSM, which is just an organization I love, and it’s one of our big sports societies, and I was lucky enough with 3 other people to travel around Europe. In, in, I guess it was, end of April until the end of May, and… and seeing, you know, the different anatomic. history in those places really brought me back to think of Russia. You know, we took anatomy classes whenever we were in Russia, and they just have these amazing anatomical dissections of all different kinds of unique pathologies and all different types of things that I’ve never seen before and probably never will. You know, basically a lab where all these, all these specimens where you could learn from, and, you know, I was really set up well, I think, for my anatomy opportunities at WVU in medical school, thanks to that, because I’d seen these unique things before, and On the weekends, we would go with some of the surgeons and do dissections and different surgical approaches on… on, on, cadavers, and, you know, obviously it’s such a gift to… to provide those for educational purposes from the families, so I definitely think about, things like that all the time, which some stories are pretty, pretty funny and impressive, and, other ones are certainly very, Impactful, and it’s continued to be, so for sure, it’s a great point.

Randy Friend: Yeah. So, here’s a, you know, again, just kind of looking through your profile and things like that. Can you give me a sense of, kind of, two things, right? What do you find in the similarities between U.S. Olympic athletes… and NFL professional athletes. At the same time, what are something that stands out to you as such a big difference between those two types of groups?

Justin Arner: Yeah, it’s definitely… different backgrounds, depending on what sport you play. You know, people that are hockey players from Canada certainly have different perspectives and different upbringings a lot of times than some folks in the NFL who grew up in the inner city with less opportunity, but obviously the same drive and interest and desire to remain healthy and appropriately be kept on the field, and one thing that’s really interesting about the NFL is I think they really… they really do it right, and the Steelers do it right, that, really the safe and right thing for the player and longevity of the athlete, the longevity of their life, long-term implications is really considered, which I think maybe some people wouldn’t realize, you know, and that was all the testament to the ownership and Dr. Bradley to really do the right thing for people, and that’s what you see across the board, but, you know, these athletes. are so driven and so amazing, you know, it’s… I was in Valdezaire, France, covering, covering a big air event, and you see these… these… these guys that are… You know, passionate working on this and that, focusing on this, but then afterwards, you go ski with them, or they go do this, you know, backcountry ski back to their hotel, and they’re just, you know. kids that are loving what they do, you know, it’s the same thing as everything. It’s just, like, such a passion, and it’s just… it’s refreshing to see, just, like, I love what I do. I’m sure, you know, you guys love what you do, it’s just… it makes them giddy still. You know, you see, you know, an NFL player that’s been in the league, and they’re… you know, late 30s, 40s, whatever, and they just still love it. You know, it’s… it’s invigorating, for yourself and for other people to watch. You know, it’s… they do it for the right reasons, and it’s, refreshing. You know, you… you watch things on TV, and the money, and the… the complex inner workings about decision making, but if you, you know, peel the layers back, it’s these… these, young kids or, you know, adults that have done it for decades or a short time, they’re just so passionate about it, and… And the opportunity to help them along the way when such a hard, like I mentioned, vulnerable situation is really a lucky, a gift that we’re able to do, because it’s stressful and hard for, like, you went through your rotator cuff surgery, this is how, you know, they make their living, their kids, their future. There’s a lot on the line, and if they can’t perform, it’s stressful, but you have to balance, obviously, the right thing to do for them long-term, so it’s… it’s a special relationship that, you know, that Jim Bradley and these other athletic trainers and doctors that I mentioned really have done an amazing job of teaching others and to watch, and… And to learn, and try to take those on to… those same perspectives on to, you know, gain the trust of the athlete, and have them realize that you’re on their side, because it’s… it’s hard to trust anyone, a medical perspective, medical professional, whoever. You’re meeting them in Switzerland for the first time, and you hurt your shoulder, like, how do I know this guy knows what they’re doing? You know, it’s… it’s, it’s a special opportunity, but like… like I mentioned, it’s just the drive of these… these people, and just the amazing things that they can do is just… it’s just special to… to be, able to observe these… these… these people.

Randy Friend: Yeah, I would think so, right? Like, I think you’re spot on hearing that, just around, excuse me, the fact that you… people don’t recognize that relationship between athletic trainers and doctors and these athletes, right? Regardless of what level it’s at, whether.

Justin Arner: Right.

Randy Friend: or what have you, or even probably down to high school Friday night.

Justin Arner: Yes.

Randy Friend: Right?

Justin Arner: Just as important.

Randy Friend: There’s so much trust in that moment that people probably just don’t recognize that enough. So that’s a great point.

Justin Arner: Yeah. You know, parents. As Jimmy… as Jimmy Andrews, a legendary sports medicine doctor, is now retired, you know, he operated on every, you know, Roger Clemens, all these… there’s all these articles about, you know, how much money he made for these athletes after getting them back. He always would say, if mom not happy, no one’s happy, you know?

Randy Friend: We gotta keep…

Justin Arner: Keep mom happy and engaged, and it’s true, you know, it all goes back to family, so that’s who support is, and when push comes to shove, who’s there for you to support all those people through stressful college decision-making, athletics, whatever. It’s such an important thing, and again, Shepherd, I think, really fostered that. Reason is real special to me.

Randy Friend: Yeah, so I want to come back to one final kind of thought here, and you really have kind of brought it and wrapped it up really nicely, honestly, is, you know, all the experiences that you’ve talked about, you’ve really given a lot of credit to other folks that have kind of been with you throughout this journey, right? Obviously, from your very first surgery with Dr. Bradley all the way through to where you are now. What advice or thoughts would you give to somebody who is either a fellow alumnus that’s listening to this, or even a Shepherd student or a potential student for not only Shepherd, but anywhere, around how to build that network, or build that support system, you know? I mean, for somebody who’s had as many amazing experiences as you’ve had, you’re right, there’s a lot of people that were involved in that. So I’d love to just hear your thoughts or advice to folks who may be watching, who are thinking, you know, how do I build that village, if you will?

Justin Arner: Yeah, I think you’re right, that’s the key. It’s… it’s the support you get from others, and I think it’s just, as I mentioned, you have to find what drives you, you know, your passion and what… Is important to you, and what, you know, gets you out of bed in the morning, and… I really like building those relationships with people, so I love, you know, our AOSSM Society that I mentioned, and the opportunities I just had, and with the European Society. It’s, it’s not that difficult, I think, if you really have the passion to do it, you know, as… as a medical student or a college student, you know, there aren’t that many people that ask to, you know, observe you in surgery or shadow you, and spending the time to realizing that’s, you know, what you’re interested in, what you want to do, is actually not done that commonly. And, you know, say you want to go into I don’t know you’re in medical school or wherever, you want to go into orthopedic surgery. You know, it’s quite, It’s quite easy to show your interest and do research and be reliable, and if you show up, you know, every day and work hard, you know, you go to the conferences, whatever you’re interested in, you go out of your way to, you know, meet the professors at Shepherd. That you’re interested in, and you have a real mentor that supports you, and they want you to succeed, and something you don’t realize as a mentee. the mentors get just as much out of it as the mentees, and something, certainly, I’m not, you know, a master mentor like all these other folks that have helped me, but, you know, through leadership classes and and talking with them, it’s really, it really is something that makes you feel good to see someone that you helped along as a resident, or you’re a professor, you help a student along, and to see them succeed. There’s nothing more, you know, more that drives you and fills your bucket, if you will. Then seeing that, so realizing and not being afraid to ask, you know, you’d obviously have to do it in the right way and not be pushy, but, you know, ask for opportunities if you’re interested in doing research at Shepherd with this… this person, you know, get to know them, you know, figure out what you’re interested in, because that’s going to keep you coming back, and that’s going to keep you. hungry to do the good work, and being reliable, you know, now doing research with, you know, residents and fellows, if you don’t have a passion for it, they’re probably not going to be as aggressive to finish these projects, but if you have, have an interest in Drive, and you’re finishing projects, and say, wow, this person did a great job writing this paper, and they got it back to you in time. You’re going to support that person getting into fellowship more, you’re going to support that person into getting, you know, traveling fellowship, you’re going to support them getting into committees. So I think, you know, being reliable and honest and, you know, if you’re going to do something, finish the work, and getting to know people, and realizing you’re not a… you’re not, you know, a hindrance on, you know, asking for an opportunity or asking for this or that, and… I think, I think, you know, going out of your way to make those opportunities, sitting back is not going to get you probably where you want to be if you have that passion. Just… just wake up and do it. It’s like… like with anything in life, like I mentioned.

Randy Friend: Awesome. Well, that is great advice to wrap up. So, Justin, we appreciate you taking the time. You know, I know you’ve got an extremely busy schedule, just kind of looking and hearing your stories today. We appreciate it, and those of you that have joined us today, thank you so much. Justin, we look forward to hopefully having you back on campus at some point, you know, whether it be for homecoming or whatnot, love to have you back. And, for those who’ve joined us, thank you, and if you, too, who’ve watched this, have somebody that you would recommend for one of these great stories, we would love to hear that. Please reach out to myself, or to Katie through any of the social media connections. Dr. Arner, thank you so much for your time today, and we look forward to talking to everybody next time. Thanks!

Katie Swayne: Thanks so much. We’ll talk soon.

Justin Arner: Thanks, Katie, and it’s really special. I love Shepherd, so thanks for the opportunity to talk tonight. Appreciate your time as well.

Randy Friend: Wonderful.

Katie Swayne: Anytime. Have a great night.

Justin Arner: You too. Bye-bye.

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