Sarasota Orthopedic Associates

SARASOTA – James “Jamie” Cottom keeps bumping into the right people.
This is not an exclusive list, of course, but consider some of the people who have been in the right place, at the right time, for Cottom.

Right person # 1: When he was in middle school in his hometown of Okemos, Mich., the father of one of Cottom’s best buddies was David Shneider, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in knee surgery. “He was one of the first guys who began doing arthroscopic surgery on a routine basis. I can remember always asking him questions about his patients and what he did. I was truly fascinated,” said Cottom, who had been playing soccer since he was 4 years old and had established himself as potential candidate for Olympics-level competition.

“Then, in my senior year of high-school, I was playing soccer and blew out my ACL, MCL and injured my meniscus. Dr. Shneider operated on me and got me back playing. That is what sealed the deal for my career path,” he said.

Today, Cottom said he credits his athletic endeavors with instilling “a strong work value at an early age and to never give up. The training was very intense both physically and mentally. You had to be strong on both levels to consistently compete and do well,” he said. It suited me well later in life when I thought about a career in medicine and the commitment and determination that are needed as a surgeon.”

Right person #2: After graduating a semester early with honors from Michigan State University in 1997, Cottom was accepted at Chicago Medical School, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2002. A surgical residency at Wayne State University in Detroit followed. “It was a great experience to train at one of the busiest trauma centers in the country. We saw it all there and it prepared me to deal with major trauma and reconstructive surgery of the lower extremity,” he said.
Toward the end of his residency, Cottom then completed a fellowship with Sigvard T. Hansen, MD, in Seattle. “He has published hundreds of papers in the orthopedic world and has written textbooks on foot and ankle surgery,” said Cottom,  who characterized his time there as “an absolute dream to be given the opportunity to learn from a giant.”

Right person(s) # 3: Not content to declare an end to his training, Cottom said he was “very fortunate to be given a position at the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio.” At the time, he said, he was only the second podiatric surgeon in the U.S. to be given that opportunity. It was a 12-month surgical orthopedic foot and ankle fellowship focusing on total ankle replacement, trauma and reconstructive surgery of the lower extremity. “This is the exact same fellowship MD/DO orthopedic surgeons complete if they wish to sub-specialize in foot and ankle surgery,” Cottom explained.  “My directors were Greg Berlet, MD, Tom Lee, MD, and Terry Philbin, DO. These surgeons “are some of the biggest names in foot and ankle surgery in the world,” he said. “They are very close to their fellows and I still communicate with them weekly.”

Right person #4: After a brief stint in private practice in Michigan, Cottom said he was recruited to join Sarasota Orthopedic Associates. The move, in the summer of 2007, was a good fit professionally and personally, he said, because his father and younger brother were living in Naples.
One day on his way home from work he stopped at a salon to get a walk-in haircut. The greeter told him “Sure, Devin’s available.” Cottom replied “He sounds fine.” But “he” was actually a “she” and he eventually would marry the stylist in an outdoor ceremony and reception in March 2010 at the Ca d’ Zan at the waterfront Ringling Museum in Sarasota. “They could have given me anybody,” he said of the Florida native who “is my life. ... She puts everything in perspective for me and really makes me appreciate the fact that family is a priority. I’m truly blessed to have her in my life.”

The Cottoms live on the bay on Siesta Key with their two Pomeranians, Phantom and Maui. “We really enjoy being on the water in our spare time, on the boat or Jet Ski or just hanging out on our dock,” said Cottom, who treasures the time he can leave his cell phone in the house and fish for redfish, trout and snook.
Some other “right” people in Cottom’s life are his colleagues and patients at Sarasota Orthopedic Associates, where he performs a remarkable “50 or 60 ankle replacements” a year, as well as various lower extremity trauma, reconstructive and arthroscopic surgeries.

As he goes about his work, Cottom said he relies on advice from Devin, who reminds him frequently “don’t stress about what you can’t control.” Cottom acknowledges doing so is sometimes easier said than done. “We tend to worry about patients or outcomes excessively. That is normal for a good doctor. I treat all my patients like they are part of my family and I want the best possible outcome for them at all times,” he said.
But doing the right things for the right people requires a strict work ethic, Cottom said. “My grandfather told me when I was little that ‘The squeaky wheel gets the grease.’ I have applied that concept throughout my life (and) have not been afraid to go after what I want. I believe that if you keep your mouth shut and work hard, good things will happen,” he said.

And a sense of humor helps, too.
Cottom said his name often is mispronounced as “Cotton.” His standard comeback? “My name is ‘bottom’ with a ‘C.’ Then I point to my butt.”

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