Ā鶹¾«Ń”

Ā鶹¾«Ń”Alumnus Hopes to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast His Competition on ā€˜Survivorā€™

Dr. Josh Wilder has already proved he is a survivor. Wilder, who received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Ā鶹¾«Ń”ā€™s College of Podiatric Medicine in 2016, was born with Eagle-Barrett syndrome, also known as Prune-Belly syndrome, and doctors did not think he would make it past age 5. At age 9, he had a kidney transplant and was put on immunosuppressant medications for the rest of his life. As a side effect of taking the medicine, he developed cancer of the stomach, which was diagnosed at age 25. Doctors also found signs of B-cell lymphoma, so Wilder had a total stomach removal during his first year at Kent Stateā€™s College of Podiatric Medicine.

ā€œI still graduated the top of my class, and Iā€™m a successful physician now,ā€ said Wilder, who moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when he was 5 years old.

But now, Wilder is looking to outwit, outplay and outlast the other contestants on Season 44 of ā€œSurvivorā€ to be the only one left in the game and capture the title of Sole Survivor.  

Josh Wilder receiving his diploma

Currently, the 34-year-old is a podiatric surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia. He said the training he received to be a podiatric surgeon has helped him with the reality competition.

ā€œThe profession of podiatric surgery prepares you for ā€˜Survivorā€™ because in the operating room, you always have to be ready for the unexpected, which is exactly what ā€˜Survivorā€™ is about,ā€ Wilder said in the first episode of the season. ā€œBut Iā€™m not going to tell people my profession. I donā€™t want them to think Iā€™m strategic or smart because Iā€™m already gonna be looked at as a threat because of my athleticism. But I can outlast all of my competition.

ā€œI grew up in Ohio as a Black gay man,ā€ Wilder continued. ā€œI survived medical school. I survived a kidney transplant. I survived cancer. So, with all that, you have to take negative situations and turn them to positive outcomes, which is going to be beneficial in ā€˜Survivor.ā€™ So, this whole experience is what I have been waiting for my whole life, and, of course, Iā€™m gonna win. Iā€™m going to win ā€˜Survivor.ā€™ Iā€™m your next Sole Survivor of Season 44.ā€

Josh Wilder

Michelle Gerhard, operations and credentialing specialist who runs the Ā鶹¾«Ń”College of Podiatric Medicineā€™s , remembers Wilder.

ā€œThere is so much to say about him,ā€ Gerhard said. ā€œHe is the sweetest person and would do anything for anyone. Patients loved him and the care he gave them.ā€

David Putman, director of the Office of Academic Operations and Institutional Research at Kent Stateā€™s College of Podiatric Medicine, said he had a lot of interactions with Wilder when he was a student.

ā€œHe went to undergrad in the Pennsylvania town where my mom and most of my family on her side grew up and lived, so weā€™d always talk about that,ā€ Putman said. ā€œI remember Josh to be incredibly kind and outgoing. He always had a big smile on his face and always seemed to genuinely care when heā€™d ask how I was doing. He was also very hardworking as a student. Weā€™ve kept in touch a little over the years, mostly through Facebook. From that limited interaction, I can tell that heā€™s still the same good person that I knew during his days as a student.ā€

Wilder joins fellow Golden Flashes who have competed on ā€œSurvivor.ā€ Jacob Derwin, a 2016 Ā鶹¾«Ń”graduate who received a bachelorā€™s degree in journalism, competed on Season 36. , who received a bachelorā€™s degree in chemistry from Ā鶹¾«Ń”in 1989, competed on Season 21.

Watch Wilder compete on ā€œSurvivor,ā€ which airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Wilderā€™s ā€œSurvivorā€ journey ended. In the sixth episode of the season, Wilder was voted out at Tribal Council.

POSTED: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 03:58 PM
Updated: Friday, April 7, 2023 09:17 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Emily Vincent