BROOKINGS – After completing medical school and several regimens of specialty training in orthopedic surgery, all out of state, Flandreau native Dr. Michael Holmoe is back home in South Dakota and hanging out his shingle at Avera Orthopedics in Brookings as a board eligible orthopedic surgeon.

Born and raised in Flandreau, where his parents still live, the doctor graduated from high school there as a Flier and went on to South Dakota State University, as a prerequisite to medical school, graduating in 2005. 

Then, in preparation for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), he took additional courses at the University of Alabama (Birmingham). 

Following that he attended the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University (Iowa), where he earned his DO (doctor of osteopathy) degree. Next came another move that took him farther from South Dakota.

“I elected to do my clinicals for medical school in Detroit, Michigan,” Holmoe explained. “I was there for two years as well, at DMC-Sinai Grace, right downtown, right in the thick of everything. I wanted to see absolutely everything.”

After Detroit came Chicago at Midwestern University/Franciscan St. James Health, where he “matched into their orthopedic (residency) program.” 

Following his general orthopedics residency, the doctor spent some time in Florida getting some additional training in sports medicine and some time back in Chicago doing research.

“I’ve been applying for jobs ever since, and this is the one that I really, really wanted,” Holmoe said. “I held out for this and I was lucky enough to get it.” 

He was ready to come back to his South Dakota roots.

Knows orthopedics – as a patient

The doctor is board eligible and comes to his job with certifications from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, and American Osteopathic Associations.

Holmoe will provide orthopedic care to men, women, children and athletes. In addition to sports medicine, his interests include hip arthroscopy, joint preservation, fracture care and total joint replacement. In addition to being a practitioner of orthopedic care, he can relate to it as a patient.    

As a Flandreau Flier, Holmoe learned what it’s like to be on the receiving end of orthopedic care. 

“In high school, I played a lot of football and dabbled in basketball; but football was always my sport,” he explained. “That’s kind of how I got into orthopedics.

“First, I injured my knee when I was in middle school. I had my knee scoped and an arthroscopic procedure on my knee. But when I injured it, I went to the hospital in Flandreau. I got such great care there that I was just amazed. And I ended up, the knee was fine.

“I played into high school and I tore out my rotator cuff on my shoulder. I was a quarterback and I tore my throwing arm. So I had that arthroscopically fixed as well, down in Sioux Falls at Avera.

“It kind of shaped me in a way that I started shadowing the doctors in Flandreau that I grew up with. One of them went to Des Moines University.” 

“Very inspirational people, very motivational people,” he said of his hometown physicians. “They made me want to follow in their footsteps. So that’s what I did. It comes full circle, doesn’t it?”

Comparing his own experience undergoing orthopedic surgery then to present procedures, Holmoe noted that today such surgery is less invasive and more precise; as a follow-on the doctor noted robotic surgery “is going to be the wave of the future, especially when they have the (Stryker Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery) here.” Precision cutting can be done within a millimeter.

He added that an orthopedic surgeon does have to take a certification course to be qualified to use the Mako robot. However, Holmoe did point out that an orthopedic surgeon still needs to be adept at doing traditional hands-on surgery.

“Knowing your history will help you in the future, moving forward, knowing how to do those procedures by hand,” the doctor added.

Sports injuries can happen early

Asked about sports medicine and who might need it, Holmoe explained that sports injuries are being seen at a fairly early age. “Absolutely, with kids playing sports when they’re 2 or 3, starting to get into gymnastics and swimming.

“When I was little, I started playing sports on the playground. Fifth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, middle school you start playing basketball. Now people are getting into competitive sports when they’re very, very young.”

Regardless of the age when sports medicine procedures are needed, Avera Orthopedics is ready to help – right here in Brookings.    

“I’m extremely happy to be back in the area to provide care to the patients of my home state,” Holmoe said. “We have assembled a great team here in Brookings, and we want to keep as many patients in town and happy as possible.”

Referencing an “umbrella of orthopedics and the different branches” that include total joint replacement, spine, foot and ankle, hand, and pediatrics, Holmoe said, ”A general orthopedic surgeon is more than capable of taking care of these problems in a community of this size.”

In addition to his parents, the doctor’s family includes a sister who’s a nurse in Sioux Falls; a brother in Minneapolis; and a girlfriend living in Chicago and finishing training in orthopedics and seeking a fellowship to specialize in the treatment of the hand.

“We hope to get her to the area as well,” he said. Finally, there’s a dog named Larry, living here in Brookings with Dr. Holmoe.

In addition to running, biking and spending time with his family, he likes to “hang out with Larry.”

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.