Laura Stoll, MD, '15

Full name: 
Laura Stoll 

Nicknames: 
Stolli (I will spare you all of my childhood nicknames)    

Where are you from and where did you attend medical school? 
Born in McCall, ID (a small ski town 2 hours north of Boise) and moved to Sandpoint when I was 10 (a larger ski town in north Idaho).  I grew up on a dirt road most of my life and thought it was weird that people didn’t party in the woods with huge bonfires when I went to college.  Went to med school at the great UWSOM.  My favorite non-ortho rotation…I did my family med rotation in Buffalo, WY.  I felt like I was in the wild west, the people were awesome, and the family docs did everything.   I also loved my psych rotation at HMC for some strange reason.

When did you decide to pursue Orthopaedic Surgery?
I decided on ortho pretty late in med school.  If you asked me when I was a first-year, there was no way I would go into ortho.  I knew I wanted to do surgery, but realized I didn’t like taking care of critically ill people (so gen surg was out).  My first sub-I of 4th year was Ortho Tumor with Chappie Conrad and on day one I knew ortho was what I was meant to do.

What attracted you to the University of Washington?
Best program with the best people

If you had a month off to do whatever you wanted to relax, what would that be? 
Oooh, tough choice.  Depends on the weather.  Winter – I would go to Big Sky, MT which is my most favorite place on Earth.  Summer – sail down the coast.

What 3 things would you bring with you if you got stranded on a island for 1 month? 
My ipad fully loaded with music and books, my dog, and fresh water.

What is the best excuse for being late to something/ or the best excuse that you have heard?
I have no idea

What is your favorite meal? 
Again, tough question. I love potatoes in any form (guess that’s the Idaho in me), a good filet minon, and of course dessert (actually, multiple desserts), with a good drink
  
Who is your favorite music artist? 
I am DJ Playout, but right now it is The Lumineers and for whatever reason I love the Talking Heads song “This Must be the Place” right now.

Best color scrubs you have ever worn? 
Back in my CNA days I probably wore some dorky pink scrubs.   

What is the best advice you have received or could give to medical students pursuing Orthopaedic Surgery/Sports Medicine? Whatever you choose to do, make sure it is something that gets you excited to get up early in the morning (at least most of the time).   Be yourself during your rotations, interviews, etc., because people know when you aren’t.  Wherever you choose to go, make sure you enjoy the other residents, because you will be around those people more than your own family.