"Behind The White Coat" - Dr. Ryan Shock

What made you move to Central Texas? “My wife and I decided to make a list of the top 5 cities that we wanted to live after my residency. Of the choices, I picked Charlotte, North Carolina because and she picked Austin. We had friends in Seattle that kept telling us how great Austin was so we decided to visit. We ended up visiting Austin and falling in love with this town and the people. Once again, she was right on where we should be!”

Have you always been in Riverplace? “No, we started off in North Austin and then the opportunity to spearhead our River Place Office was presented and have been here for the last 3 years. We now have three offices in Riverplace, Cedar Park, and Round Rock. I have office hours in all locations but the majority of my time is spent at the Riverplace office. Riverplace is surrounded by a very active demographic and people wanting to keep active. It is a privilege to help the Austin community and in specific the northwest Austin community out of pain and helping them achieve their specific goals.

How would you describe yourself as well as your personality? “I think my personality is a bit uncommon for the stereotypical physician bedside manner. I really strive to develop personal relationships with my patients. I make an emphasis to show my personality and humor with my patients and staff because patients can be very apprehensive and nervous about treatment and outcomes. I understand how important your ability to be mobile is! I also understand that going to the doctor isn’t always fun. The process of waiting in the lobby and paperwork can be beyond frustrating. I hope that I can bring some ease to the environment.”

“I like to get to really know my patients and develop a relationship with my them. I want them to see me as friend and a doctor. I want them to see me as a person so that they feel more comfortable with me. It makes it easier to communicate and set expectations. Honesty is the best thing that I can have with a patient because that helps me to be better prepared at helping them.” 

What was the most influential moment you experienced during medical school or residency that has resonated with you sense? “I initially thought that I wanted to be a cancer surgeon and work at MD Anderson. While there, it was more emotionally challenging than I had expected. I had a great mentor that advised me to go into orthopedics with my sports medicine background. I took his advice and I ended up in a foot and ankle office. One day, this young boy came in with a congenital deformity and his mother had said that all he wanted to do was play sports but he couldn’t keep up. We ended up doing reconstruction surgery and 8 months later, he was running around the office. It was such a profound moment that I knew I was where I was supposed to be in my career.”

 Since practicing, what would you say that you wished more people would do?

“I wish patients would not wait 3-6 months after sensing an injury. Patients know their bodies best and when something is off, come in and get it checked out before it gets worse. Having a proactive approach can dramatically reduce the recovery time and reduce the level of treatment needed.

What would you say that you wished more people would do in general?

“Naturally, I wish that we would have more personal time. We are a hardworking society. I love to work out and it’s gone on the wayside because I am so busy. Work life balance is so significant to a healthy lifestyle. 

Are there any charities or philanthropic acts that you're passionate about?  “I have participated in a charity in Mexico called “Yucatan Crippled Children’s Project”. It is a great experience that we provide care for children that have went untreated for congenital foot and ankle deformities. Specifically residual clubfoot is a major problem second to prenatal care. In infants we are able to cast the deformity out but in the older children reconstruction is need and the group has done very well at establishing a treatment protocol and continuing to provide much needed care.

What is something that most people don't know about you, that you would like them to know? This goes back to my bedside manner where I feel that I’m pretty open but this is a tough question. I probably care more about a patient’s results than they might. My patient's outcomes truly affects me and that is usually where my thoughts are even after my clinic has ended. My patients outcomes are extremely important to me. It is not just the outcome but the overall experience. I learn every day and strive to improve both professionally and personally on a daily basis.

"Behind The White Coat" enables the community and patients to see the personal side of providers in the area. Vigent has had significant feedback from individuals that they would like to see what makes a provider passionate about patient care and more.

If you know of a provider that you think would really have a story, contact us at www.vigentmarketing.com today!

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