Kyle Duchman ’08
Biology, Football
Orthopaedic sports medicine fellow, Duke University

College honors: Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of Year (2007-08), NCAA postgraduate scholarship, Iowa Conference All-Academic, CoSIDA Academic All-District, CoSIDAAcademic All-America (2006, 2007), Draddy Trophy semifinalist (conidered the “academic Heisman”), ranks fifth in career pass receptions, ranks in top 10 in two season leader categories, NFF Hampshire Society member (academic award), AFCA Good Works team member

How did you balance academics and athletics as a student?

Time management is the biggest issue in college. As a student-athlete, you begin to realize that there are a limited number of hours in the day, and you have to maximize that time to achieve all of your goals for the day both academically and athletically. Because of that, you quickly learn how to use your time efficiently in order to achieve your goals.

What did you do after college?

I attended medical school at the University of Iowa (2012), completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Iowa (2017), and now I am completing a fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at Duke University (2018) prior to returning to work at the University of Iowa in the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation in the fall of 2018.

How did being a successful student and athlete help prepare you for your next steps?

Being a student-athlete at Wartburg certainly prepared me for a career in medicine. The education and resources provided by the professors at Wartburg are second to none, providing a curriculum and desire for lifelong learning that allows students to excel in the field of medicine. As a successful athlete, you are allowed to develop as a leader both on and off the field, which prepares you for the daily challenges of not only managing your patients, but also managing your medical team in a variety of challenging clinical scenarios.     

What was the best part of being a Knight? 

Undoubtedly, the best part of being a Knight was the people. The relationships and values I developed with peers, teammates, coaches, and professors at Wartburg are responsible for all I have achieved to date.