10/10/2025
It’s homecoming weekend! And look at what our amazing alumni are up to. Way to go Katie Bobholz Schultz DPT Class of 2008 🧡🤍
Dr. Katie Schultz began working at the Milwaukee VA as a physical therapist in 2009. Eight years later, she began an assistive technology program in our spinal cord division, which afforded her the opportunity to go through CAD training when the division got their first 3D printer in 2018.
She now serves as program manager for the Milwaukee VA's 3D printing lab - a role she took on in 2022. The 3D printing lab serves VA medical centers across the country, printing anatomically precise medical models and training aids, and supporting innovation within the VA.
Schultz said her favorite part about 3D printing is the endless possibilities.
"You just have to have an idea. Then you design it, and you prototype it. It might be great, or you might go back to the drawing board," she said.
Her favorite 3D printed model she created was a medical case with a pancreatic tumor for a surgeon. The surgery involved removing part of the stomach based on the location of the tumor. It was the first model the lab created using magnets, which she jokes are her love language in the lab.
She also has a personal 3D printer at home and has spent time teaching her children CAD and encouraging their creativity.
In the 3D printing lab, no two days are the same and the team is open to new ideas to enhance the care provided at the VA.
"I think the biggest thing I'd love people to know is that if they have an idea to help the medical center or to help drive patient care forward, to reach out to us. Because we do make time for those conversations whenever we can."
