ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS Jody Riherd, MD

Jody Riherd, MD completed her Diagnostic Radiology residency and Abdominal Imaging and Intervention fellowship at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. She was recently appointed as department chair of imaging at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, where she previously served as section chair of ultrasound for 14 years. Learn more about Dr. Riherd, and her time at UW–Madison below! Read the full interview here.

What career milestones have you achieved since your time at UW–Madison?

I am most proud of starting up a monthly conference for sonographers and radiologists. We use the time to review good cases, discuss quality improvement, introduce new protocols, or offer didactic review. We have grown from 10 sonographers to 28 strong. New hires have been surprised and impressed that we provide this learning opportunity and love that they can earn CME credit while doing it. In the last year, I have stepped into the role of department chair of imaging. I plan to continue to focus on education, collaboration, and quality on this grander scale.

How would you say your training at UW–Madison has helped you in your career?

The comprehensive teaching that covered the spectrum of radiology was top-notch and I felt more than prepared to start my first job when I got out of training. Beyond the nuts and bolts of radiology, I learned how to manage my time during a busy call night, how to work under pressure during case conferences, and how to interact with other specialties while in the reading room. These life skills have been essential over my career.

What’s your favorite memory from your time at UW?

My favorite time from residency was actually studying for oral boards. The small group studying sessions gave us the opportunity to reunite and teach each other what we knew. I am grateful to Jen Bergin for giving me mammography cases and Marcus Cabay for teaching me about bone tumors. Bob Garrett, Richard Bruce, and I challenged ourselves with a review course in Florida.

This dedicated time to study was essential for my training, I felt like everything was finally coming together. The staff were incredibly generous with their time, giving us hours of extra case conferences. Seeing how much they were invested in us and cheering for our success was greatly appreciated. We capped off our last year by making a senior video with the help of staff, other residents and guest appearances.