As an orthopedic surgeon serving through the Indian Health Service (IHS), this physician supports a community well.

NAME: SONYA SLOAN, M.D.

EDUCATION

          UNDERGRADUATE: TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

          POSTGRADUATE: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH

RESIDENCY: BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON SONYA SLOAN, M.D., aka #OrthoDoc, is a consultant, blogger, speaker, author and serial entrepreneur. She has established two nonprofit organizations and is first lady of The Luke Church in Humble, Texas, where her husband is senior pastor. She is a physician with the Indian Health Service.

What made you choose to work for Indian Health Service?

The people need you. At the Four Corners Navajo Nation… there is an influx and outflux of medical professionals. I’ve been there six years, and they’ve grown to trust me. A good bedside manner goes a long way, and I do love it there.

What’s the most challenging about your role?

I hate the turnover rate. I’m a locums and temporary too, but I’ve been there a long time. The turnover harms the care of the patient population because there is not a constant there. There’s a small number of family medicine doctors and physician assistants. …For the most part, they have maybe a three- to five-year window of doctors overturning that creates a lack of trust.

What’s your advice for physicians who are considering joining the Indian Health Service?

You have to be very general. I’m a generalist, so I do trauma, joints and sports. Treatment is very broad-based, so what you treat there is almost like a Level I trauma. Meaning, you are going to see anything, and sometimes, you’re it — so you can’t be so highly specialized where you are not willing to do or try something.

There are challenges in flying patients out, such as weather, hospitals having a bed, and patient stability.

I tell people to come in with an open mind but be willing to work your hind end off. It’s also a big commitment, so a physician may want to do a locum tenens position to try it out first and see if it’s a good fit. More than likely, it is going to challenge you on all fronts. However, I’ve had many gifts, cards and hugs and it makes it all worthwhile.

Anything else to add?

Indian Health Service doesn’t just have hospitals; they also have outlying clinics. •