Impacting Surgery Through Medical Device Expertise

September 20, 2022

There’s a patient on the operating table, waiting for their broken ankle to be repaired so they can walk again. The surgeon is confidently making cuts, working through a process they know well. That is, until they turn to Shady Salamon ’08 and ask, “What’s next?”

Salamon isn’t a doctor. He doesn’t hold a medical degree at all. However, he’s an expert in orthopedic surgery. As a Sales Representative for Stryker Orthopedics, he has spent nearly a decade learning everything there is to know about their medical devices. He then spends much of his day working hand-in-hand with surgeons to make the most effective choices for their patients.

“Surgeons rely on my expertise because I’ve observed so many cases and I am so familiar with our products. I do my best to help guide them through surgeries on all levels of lower extremities,” he explained. “It’s pretty intense at times, so I have to be very confident on the ins and outs of our devices, so I can explain step-by-step and troubleshoot if something doesn’t go as planned.”

Salamon has developed relationships with doctors at more than 50 hospitals in the Chicago area, who all know they can count on him to be a calm and professional advisor in the OR.

“If there is an emergency at 2 am on a Saturday, Shady will always answer the phone and make sure the surgery happens without a hitch no matter what,” said his friend, Dr. Steven Jasonowicz. “Surgery can be stressful and frustrating at times. Shady never gets frustrated and when the unexpected happens he adapts to the situation.”

Salamon knew he wanted to go into sales due to financial instability he experienced as a child. He was drawn to the unlimited potential, and to the ability to determine his own paycheck through hard work. However, after spending time in insurance and pharmaceutical sales, he wanted to make a more direct impact on people.

He had a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on a medical mission trip to Liberia in 2019. He went with Jasonowicz after putting this together themselves, and spent a week providing free surgeries to people in need.

“We were in surgery from 7 am until 10 pm the entire time we were there,” Salamon remembered. “There were people lining up waiting for us, people that could have lost their legs otherwise. It was an eye-opening experience. Coming from a situation where I didn’t have many resources growing up, I was glad to give back.”

Salamon grew up in the Frogtown neighborhood. He saw his siblings and neighbors drawn into gang life and vowed that he would follow a different path.

He learned about Cretin-Derham Hall from a football coach in eighth grade, and understood that the school could help him achieve his dreams.

“It wasn’t easy for me to go there from a financial standpoint. I had to take two city buses every single day, I was part of the work-study program and had to cover my own tuition because my mom couldn’t afford it. I just knew CDH was going to put me in the position to get the scholarships I needed for college,” he said. “I definitely got to where I am today due to the values and the things that I learned in the classroom and from my coaches. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity that I had to go there and the people that helped me along the way.”

Salamon’s hard work at CDH paid off — he earned a football scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where he majored in Business. He’s now supporting his nephew and his mom, hoping that his nephew chooses to follow in his footsteps.

“About a year ago, I looked out my window and realized I was living in Downtown Chicago, I work for the number one orthopedic company in the world, and I have the opportunity to make a direct impact on people’s lives. Growing up from where I started, sometimes I’m still amazed with where I’ve wound up.”

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