Dr. Michelle Ritter, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery. She attended Thomas More College for her undergraduate degrees, majoring in mathematics and philosophy. Though she ended up a physician, medicine wasn’t her original choice for her graduate field of study. “I originally intended to obtain my PhD in philosophy and attend law school, but during my last year of college my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer,” she said. “I stayed home to care for her and realized after her death that I wanted to become a physician.” After obtaining the necessary prerequisites, she chose to attend the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “My plan at that point was to pursue a career in forensic pathology, but while working in the research lab during the summer between my first and second years of medical school, I cut a nerve in my thumb in a lab accident. After spending some vacation time shadowing the surgeon who repaired my nerve, I knew that I wanted to become a hand surgeon,” she said. “There are three routes to hand surgery: orthopaedics, plastics, and general surgery. I knew orthopaedics would be a more difficult journey for someone with ovaries, but when I saw the surgical residents who were up all night doing surgery, the orthopaedic residents looked like they were having more fun than the others.”

That one accident in the lab led her into a new specialty and her own practice, Center for Hand Surgery in Shreveport. “When I joked that it (cutting a nerve in her hand) might affect my ability to become a surgeon (something that at that time had not crossed my mind), my boss said I was way too nice to ever be a surgeon,” she said. “I don’t believe that all surgeons are arrogant, and I take pride in being told that I am one of the nicest surgeons with whom people have ever worked. In fact, when surgical crews talk about the surgeons who are easy to work with, they are almost always talking about female surgeons.”

Dr. Ritter had many mentors along the way, starting at home. “I am the third of four daughters of a police officer and a housewife. From my Mom I learned to appreciate education and literature. From my Dad I learned the importance of honesty and integrity, and it is he who gave me my sense of justice and fairness,” she said. “My oldest sister had a fascinating career as a Cincinnati homicide detective, then later as a prosecuting attorney. She quit her career and relocated to Shreveport to be my office administrator, making my life immeasurably easier.”

At Center for Hand Surgery, Dr. Ritter’s staff is all female. “I have had men working in the office in the past, but the women have been much more patient-oriented. I currently have the best crew ever, and we work together to give the patients the best experience possible during what may be a difficult time for them,” she said. “Studies have consistently demonstrated that female physicians spend more time with the patient than their male counterparts, and are more likely to explain things more fully. It may mean we see fewer patients and make less money, but I think it helps the patient to be more compliant when they understand the role they play in the treatment process.”

Being a solo practitioner in high demand leaves Dr. Ritter little spare time, but she enjoys golf, reading, writing and painting. “I also have an adorable rescue beagle who demands much of my time,” she said.

The most satisfying thing about her practice is the difference she can make in a patient’s life. “I enjoy helping people get their lives back. One of the most difficult things I had to learn in my career is that not every hand problem can be fixed, but if I can take a patient with no hand function and give them the ability to perform 90% of their daily activities and make them happy, then I feel I have accomplished something worthwhile. I treasure the letters, cards, hugs and gifts, as well as the many referrals that I get from happy patients.”