{"id":160399,"date":"2025-08-05T09:22:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T13:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=160399"},"modified":"2025-08-05T09:38:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T13:38:32","slug":"a-special-type-of-family-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2025\/08\/05\/a-special-type-of-family-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"A special type of \u2018family medicine\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Joe Stefko III, left, and his children Joe IV and Jordan share a special bond as Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine graduates, continuing a legacy of compassionate care and medical excellence. (Photo by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

The moment Joe Stefko IV stepped onto the stage at Wright State University\u2019s Boonshoft School of Medicine<\/a> graduation ceremony in May, he was continuing more than just his own journey \u2014 he was extending a family legacy.<\/p>\n

Waiting to hood him was his father, Joe Stefko III, a 1989 graduate and orthopedic surgeon in Youngstown. In the audience was his sister Jordan Stefko, a 2020 Boonshoft School of Medicine graduate who is completing a clinical fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Columbia University\u2019s New York Presbyterian Hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was special to me, especially because he graduated from the same school,\u201d Joe IV said.<\/p>\n

Together, the Stefkos represent three generations of commitment to medicine \u2014 and to Wright State\u2019s Boonshoft School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

Joe Stefko III never pushed his children to follow in his footsteps.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout their childhood years they were given the opportunity to choose their careers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jordan Stefko remembers tagging along with her father on weekend hospital rounds as a child. The experience stuck with her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that was a really neat experience, seeing him talking with patients and seeing at an early age what he did with his career in medicine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Although Jordan considered attending law school, she eventually gravitated toward science and medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love working with people,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a good career for me to make an impact on people\u2019s lives and do something hands-on as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

After earning a biology degree from Wake Forest University, she chose to return to Ohio for medical school, drawn by the close-knit feel of the Boonshoft School of Medicine community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWright State has a great reputation for training doctors who are good at what they do but are also really great people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her medical education emphasized the importance of connecting with patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Boonshoft School of Medicine emphasized the importance of compassionate care and humanism in medicine,\u201d she said. \u201cIt made me the doctor I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a medical student, Jordan appreciated the small classes and personal attention the Boonshoft School of Medicine offered. She recalled struggling during her first course but being motivated by the support she received.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ended up reaching out to faculty, and they were helpful in getting me back on track. I would not be where I am today without the support I received at Boonshoft,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A career in medicine was always on Joe Stefko IV\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, having a family in medicine was a big factor, but I feel it\u2019s a natural fit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He studied neuroscience at The Ohio State University before enrolling at the Boonshoft School of Medicine, drawn by both its reputation and his family\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a father and older sister who went to med school at Wright State, I knew what I was getting,\u201d he said. \u201cThey both had good things to say about it. I knew the school\u2019s reputation. It was cool to do my medical training in the same place they did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout medical school, Joe relied on advice from his sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen things come up with his education or questions regarding his med school experience, he\u2019d reach out to me,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cMy relationship with Joe has gotten a lot closer. It\u2019s nice to have that shared experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe IV channeled his family members\u2019 experiences as well into his field of study.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey both work with radiologists in their respective fields,\u201d he said. \u201cThat helped me to see how radiologists, although working behind the scenes, have a strong impact on other areas of medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was drawn to radiology because it sits at the intersection of technology and patient care.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get excited about new technologies like AI and how these things shape patient care and clinical outcomes,\u201d Joe said. \u201cYou get to help other doctors to clarify a diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe will begin a radiology residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh after a transitional year at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.<\/p>\n

After Jordan completes her fellowship in 2026, she will seek a position in anesthesiology ICU and critical care.<\/p>\n

\u201cI eventually want to come back to Ohio,\u201d she said. \u201cMy family wishes I was closer to home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Stefko III said he takes great pride in both Jordan and Joe IV \u2014 not only for what they\u2019ve accomplished but for choosing to follow in his footsteps at the Boonshoft School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a parent, I couldn\u2019t be more proud,\u201d he said. \u201cI am very happy with the decisions they made, specifically with medical school.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three members of the Stefko family \u2014 Joe III and his children Jordan and Joe IV \u2014 share a special bond as Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine graduates, continuing a legacy of compassionate care and medical excellence. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":160393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,4309,4299,4294,725,2016,715],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-160399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-alumni-association","category-alumni-profile","category-bsom-alumni","category-home-news-sidebar","category-medicine","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160399"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160417,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160399\/revisions\/160417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}