Name: Kyle Patmore

Degree: BS in Movement Science (Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Concentration), 2020

              Minor in entrepreneurship

Current Occupation: Surgical Neurophysiologist, National Neuromonitoring Services

What do you do in your current role?

I am a surgical neurophysiologist, which means I monitor neuropathways during brain and spine surgery. This is a career I can see myself continuing as I grow older as there are a number of advancement opportunities within the company. For example, if I wanted to go into research, data, business development, training, or move into advanced cases, there are plenty of paths I can take. The best part of the job is that every day is different; different hospitals, different surgeons, different cases. There is so much variety that it’s impossible to get bored.

How has the Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) program prepared you for your career?

It has more than prepared me for what I am doing now. I am extremely comfortable with my knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and my ability to monitor a case because I’ve had so much practice in the classroom and operating rooms. This is the most applicable thing a person could do to go into the field of IONM or other medical professions. I’m already being considered for advancement opportunities, and I’ve only been with the company for a short while. The company believes in us, which is nice because we put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in our undergrad degree, and it’s nice to get rewarded.

What is the most unique thing about the School of Kinesiology?

It’s such a close-knit community at our school. It almost feels like everyone knows each other and is always hanging out with one another. I have friends who were part of different programs who hadn’t made any significant connections because their programs were thousands of students. However, I could walk into the first day of class and immediately know four or five people and make friends with more people before class was over. When we would study together, we would know how to help each other because there was a good chance one of our friends was either in the course or had previously taken it. 

What is your favorite experience from the IONM program?

My favorite experience would have to be the summer we first started clinicals and actually got to do what we had been learning about in the classes and labs. After the first month, we started to get more comfortable, so my friends and I were able to begin enjoying the summer as our nerves started to settle. We started to see the work-life balance that was possible with this job, and it was almost too good to be true. On days we didn’t have cases, we would go swimming, lay on the beach at Bandemer Park, and then go to Good Time Charley’s for dinner. It was my best summer at U-M, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for the IONM program.