PHYSICIAN

Brian S. Kern, MD

 In Dr. Brian Kern is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee, arthroscopic surgery, and sports medicine. He holds a subspecialist certificate in orthopedic sports medicine. Dr. Kern is recognized as one of the top shoulder and knee surgeons in the region, serving Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, and West Tennessee. He is listed on Castle Connolly Top Doctors, America’s Best Physicians, and America’s Most Honored Doctors. 

Dr. Kern attended Rend Lake College, where he became an Academic All American in baseball and basketball. He also attended St. Louis University on a Division 1 baseball scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Arts in pre-med biology.  Dr. Kern, then, signed a contract to pitch for the Oakland Athletics in professional baseball. While with the Oakland A’s, he was named the Dave Stewart Community Service Player of the Year. After a three-year stint in professional baseball, Dr. Kern attended graduate school at St. Louis University and studied biomedical engineering.

After graduating from St. Louis University, Dr. Kern attended the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine before completing an orthopedic surgery residency at Southern Illinois University of Springfield. Finally, he ended his medical training with a sports medicine fellowship at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Kern has practiced orthopedic medicine at The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky (OIWK) since it began in 2009.  In 2021, he was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel for his service and accomplishments in the community.  He is also the co-founder and President of OIWK and the Medical Director of The Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center. Dr. Kern is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, a diplomat in the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons, and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy Association of North America, Kentucky Medical Association, and Southern Orthopedic Association.