Dr. Emily Compton is a board-eligible Upper Extremity Orthopedic Surgeon with subspecialty and fellowship training in Surgery of the Hand. She chose this specialty because hand function is vital to everyday life and she feels it is her mission to help restore or improve this function, whenever possible, for the people in her community. In addition to general hand surgery, she performs small joint arthroscopy, microsurgery, arthroplasty of the hand and elbow, as well as orthopedic trauma care. Her passion and the guiding principle of her practice is to help her patients achieve the best possible outcome – whether that is through surgical intervention or by recommending non-operative treatments. The end goal is for every patient to eventually leave her office better able to complete everyday tasks, succeed in their professions, and return to the activities they enjoy.    

Raised in southwest Michigan, Dr. Compton learned the importance of hard work and discipline while being surrounded and supported by a loving family and tight-knit community. Her mother was a beloved OB/GYN in her small community with an infectious love of medicine and a “work-hard-play-hard” attitude. She spent summers in Montana with family and she fell in love with the area.

After high school, Dr. Compton attended Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI, where she participated in collegiate soccer and basketball. She graduated summa cum laude with honors and a B.S. in Biology.  She attended medical school at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Southern California, where her mother and paternal grandfather had also attended. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Compton completed a 5-year orthopedic surgery residency at Spectrum Health/Michigan State University in Grand Rapids, MI. Her residency mentors emphasized the fact that surgery is not a magical fix for every problem. A key part of a surgeon’s responsibility is to recognize the limitations and risks of surgery and to help patients make informed treatment decisions accordingly— a philosophy that defines Dr. Compton’s practice. Following residency, her specialized training continued at the University of Alabama at Birmingham/Andrews Sports Medicine Institute Hand Surgery Fellowship program. Having been an orthopedic surgical patient numerous times, she recognizes the immense trust that patients must place in their surgeons, and appreciates the distinct privilege she has to care for her patients.  

Together with her husband, Dr. Compton is absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to raise their two children in Montana — close to family and the mountain trails. She continues to be active with cross-country skiing, snowboarding, backpacking, mountain biking, and scuba diving. At home, she enjoys audiobooks — and the challenges of parenting, woodworking, gardening, and mushroom cultivation.  

Clinical Interests:

• Arthritis at the Base of the Thumb
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
• De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
• Dupuytren’s Contracture
• Fractures (Including Wrists and Scaphoid Bone) and Dislocations
• Ganglion Cysts
• Golfer's Elbow
• Hand and Wrist Arthritis
• Ligament Injuries and Instabilities
• Overuse Syndrome
• Tendonitis
• Tennis Elbow
• Trigger Finger