Christine Etzel, MD

Christine Etzel, MD, a trainee in the orthopaedics residency program, is originally from the Connecticut shoreline and attended Brown University for her undergraduate degree.

There, she was part of the Division I women’s soccer team and started her career in orthopaedics via research with her mentor. She stayed in Providence, Rhode Island, to complete two years as a research fellow with the Department of Orthopdedics at Brown before applying to medical school.

She earned her medical degree from the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

One of our new attendings, Dr. Kosinski (a Buffalo native!), was a resident with the Department of Orthopaedics at Brown while I was an undergrad and during my research years. We initially met when she was on my mentor’s service and bonded over being college athletes. We were able to keep in touch through the years and when it came time to apply for residency, she spoke very highly of the program. I’m glad I took her word and checked out UB!   

I was looking for a program that had graduated autonomy in the OR and on consults, a quality resident education, mentorship and leadership opportunities, and a solid group of people. At the end of the day, you’re going to be an orthopaedic surgeon no matter where you go, but it’s the many hours you will work with your co-residents that will have a big impact on your experience. I learn best through hands-on experience and love coaching/teaching. I wanted to be a part of an environment that encouraged that behavior in its residents and attendings.  

The camaraderie was obvious in this group from my interview day. I could tell this group worked hard and grew together. To me, that’s what being a team is all about. Whether that is more senior residents feeling comfortable walking junior residents through certain cases or working with medical students on consults and research, this program invests in the next generation. I appreciate that with more experience and exposure comes more trust and autonomy.   

I love that we work hard together and have each other’s backs. We are a truly busy department, but there’s a mutual understanding that this team supports each other from top down to bottom up. Being around these residents makes me want to continue to strive to be a better resident. A special shout-out to my ortho ladies as well — I’m so grateful we have incredible faculty and co-residents.  

I love having a bit of everything here. I adopted my dog during my last year of medical school and wanted to be in a mid-sized city where we could get the best of both city and suburban life. I love being able to explore local parks/trails while having a ton of restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops to try during my five years here. Everyone here is so nice and welcoming. I was lucky to find some great neighbors who looked out for me when I first moved here.