Dr. Cody Lane Ward, MD

About Dr. Ward

Cody L. Ward, MD, doesn’t recall a particular moment that led him to a career in the medical field. “My mother’s work as a nurse, as well as my personal experiences as an athlete with athletic trainers and sports medicine physicians were also strong influences on me,” he says. “I knew medicine was the right career path for me by the end of my first year of college.”

College for him included Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he earned a BS in Physiology. From there he graduated from the Rural Medical Education Program at University of Illinois College of Medicine (Rockford Campus). Post graduate work was at the Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program and South Bend-Notre Dame Sports Medicine Fellowship.

His primary role as a sports medicine physician is to diagnose and manage musculoskeletal injuries. Dr. Ward works with patients to develop a treatment plan that makes sense for their individual needs, which can include home exercises, formal physical …therapy, and ultrasound guided injections. “My goal is to return you to the activities that you enjoy, safely and quickly,” he says. “I also believe that one of the most important aspects of my role in their healthcare is that they understand their diagnosis and treatment plan,” he says of his patients.

In addition to providing Sports Medicine Primary Care at Beacon locations in South Bend, Dr. Ward serves as the Team Physician at LaVille High School.

“Practicing medicine is an incredible privilege. I hope that patients feel I have treated their questions and concerns with the attention they deserve,” Dr. Ward says, adding, “Medical care is a team effort, and the patient is the most important member of that team.”

In his own words…

Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life?  My parents and my wife have been very influential. They have always been encouraging and supportive of my pursuits, and I am so fortunate to have such amazing people in my life.

What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it?  My first jobs growing up were helping my grandfather bale hay in his fields and working as a car detailer at my family’s car dealership. Both required determination and were uniquely challenging. Working as a detailer required great attention to detail.

What is your favorite food? Movie?  I really enjoy food that I smoke/grill at home with my wife.  My favorite movies are adventure/action series like Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.

What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up?  I always excelled at mathematics and science subjects in school, and I was never good in more artistic pursuits.

If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?  I would love to sit down to a meal with my Grandpa Boomie as he passed before I was born. I have been told that he and I share many interests.

In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about?  What are your hobbies, interests?  My wife and I love to travel both domestically and internationally. It is always exciting to explore a new country or city. I love to read, work in my yard, and hike/walk with my dogs.

What is something most people don’t know about you?  I studied abroad at Oxford in the United Kingdom as an undergraduate student. My time in the UK was amazing and was one of the most influential educational experiences of my life.