James L. Woodman, MD, PhD, JD, FAAFP

James L. Woodman was born and raised in a small town in New York state. As a nurse, his mother always wanted him to become a physician. But because of his interest in engineering and medicine, he instead earned a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. After moving to Chicago and being involved in research at Rush Medical College, he developed an interest in the legal aspects of patent law. He then enrolled in law school and graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1984. He practiced law in Florida for 10 years before deciding to return to school—and make his mother happy. He attended the University of Illinois College of Medicine and graduated in 1998 with an MD. After a three-year residency in Family Practice, he began practicing medicine at Swedish American Health System in Rockford, Illinois. During his time there, as a board-certified physician, he chaired various committees, was on the faculty of the University of Illinois College of Medicine – Rockford, and built a large practice. He was also in the active Army Reserves, mobilized and sent overseas during the Gulf War, and then returned to his practice. Today, he practices in an urgent care setting, where he enjoys seeing patients of all ages as well as continuing to teach the next generation of medical providers.