Tell Us About Yourself

I am currently a Clinical Assistant Professor within Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes-Podiatry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. I recently completed a two-year clinical fellowship with emphasis on clinical research and wound care at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. I am a practicing podiatrist, podiatric surgeon, and wound care specialist that love what I do every day. I truly enjoy challenging wound cases.

What was your path to wound care?

I knew that I wanted to become wound care specialist since my first day of podiatric medical school, so it’s been on my trajectory since 2012. Throughout residency I took it more seriously by spending an abundant time with the plastic surgery attendings understanding wound healing from various points of views. Following residency, I chose to complete a fellowship in wound care.

What’s the most challenge part of your job?

The most challenging part of my job is dealing with insurance authorization; however, I must admit since becoming faculty at Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan this has improved compared to fellowship and residency training years.

How are you helping to change the field of wound care?

It’s difficult to gauge how one individual is changing the field of wound care, but I will say I attempting to change the field by making it more diversified and inclusive. I want healthcare professionals from all backgrounds and specialties to realize they are all healers.

What does being a Difference Maker mean to you?

Being a Difference Maker is breaking from the status quo and pushing the needle to do what is best to serve our patient population also being a teacher to all.

What advice would you give someone pursuing wound care?

I would advise anyone entering the world of wound care to find a mentor and ask questions. I still ask questions about wound care cases that I struggle with. Sometimes the solution is simple and sometimes it is not so simple, but I am willing to put myself out there to heal my patients.

Tell us a story that reminds you why you pursued your career?

There are numerous stories that remind me why I pursued a career in wound care. The most recent story was healing a wound of another physician. Without breaking any privacy laws. I had tried several failed modalities and could not get the individual’s wound to heal. However, when I seemed defeated during a visit the patient told “Dr. Johnson you have made more progress in these past two weeks than most have in months.” It was in that moment, when I realized we had one last modality that we had not exhausted before burying our heads in the sand. It was this recommendation that eventually healed the patient’s wound two weeks later. It was a very emotional moment; because, I think it was the first time I actually saw myself as the patient. I could have easily been that physician depending on another physician to heal me.

What’s something innovative you’ve done to advance the field of wound care?

I have recently started a passion project aimed to empower other via education. This past summer, I founded a company named AJ Educational Empowerment, LLC with a mission focused on using education as a currency to improve the environment around us. The goal is target disenfranchised individuals whether it be based on gender identity, race, sexual orientation or religion that we need a diversity of pool of people to achieve greatness not only in healthcare but the overall wellbeing of society.