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The University of Missouri School of Medicine Student Ambassadors are dedicated medical students who are part of the Admissions Office team.

2019 Student Ambassadors photo
Click the image to see a full-size version.

They help with on- and off-campus recruitment activities, public relations, and act as liaisons among visiting students and the student body. Ambassadors share the MU School of Medicine's goal of attracting the best students possible. They provide assistance to prospective students in a number of ways, including: facilitating networking events, coordinating medical student panels for interested groups and classes, arranging medical school tours for interviewees, and communicating one-on-one with prospective students.

Meet Our Ambassadors

Click on our ambassadors' names below to learn more about why they chose Mizzou Med.

M3s

Katie Bernal

Katie Bernal

Bio

  • Hometown: Livermore, CA

  • Undergrad: UC Davis

  • Major: Biological Sciences

  • Graduate: Georgetown University

  • Graduate Major: Physiology and Biophysics

  • Med Specialty: Undecided

  • Email: Ceb98x@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hello Everybody! My name is Katie Bernal and it still feels like yesterday that I was going through the process of applying to medical school. Looking at my info, I bet you’re asking why in the world would anyone move out of California, you crazy person! It’s a bit of a tale, let me tell you.

I chose to pursue BioSci as my major at UC Davis because I loved the sciences, not because I was set on medicine. I was quite indecisive with what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew was that I came from a family full of teachers and that wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. It was during my first senior year (yes I took 2) at UC Davis that I discovered the incredibly powerful experience of using my love for science to help others while working as home staff for adults with developmental disabilities. 

I knew I wanted to do something in medicine, but was unsure if I wanted to become a physician. There are no doctors in the family, but one nurse who advocated very strongly for me to follow her footsteps. I would spend the next several years exploring different fields of medicine: nursing, physical therapy, behavioral health and even as an EMT. 

It was during a physician shadowing experience where, standing in my first OR, I fell in love. This was it. I knew had to be a physician. After that, and since it had now been close to 5 years since I graduated, I went back to school and did the SMP at Georgetown in D.C. 

Sometimes it takes a little longer to take the first step into becoming a physician and for me it took more than one try. Never fear and don’t give up. I gained so many amazing experiences in that time and grew into the person I am today; so that when the profession called, I was ready.

I first heard about Mizzou Med from the awesome Robin Clay. The more I learned about the patient-based learning (PBL) program, Mizzou’s message and collaborative learning environment it fostered, the more I knew this was a place I could see myself learn well and be happy. I am not one for the lecture-based traditional style as I have a hard time staying focused and sitting still for a long time. To me, PBL was the perfect fit. 

At my interview day I was impressed with the family-like atmosphere of the place. I stayed with an Ambassador during my visit and even though they were in the midst of STEP studying, they did not hesitate to make me feel welcomed. That collaborative environment was a huge driver for me and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come here. 

Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you have questions, concerns or simply need some positive vibes!

Jordan Cruz

Jordan Cruz

Bio

  • Hometown: Springville, UT
  • Undergrad: Utah Valley University
  • Major: Exercise Science
  • Med Specialty: Interested in Peds, Med Peds, Internal Medicine, Family Practice
  • Email: Jwcrf2@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

First off, I love Mizzou! I am different from your average student in that I am from Utah, I am married and have a daughter, come from a Hispanic family, lived in Peru for 2 years in-between school, and many other differences. Through the PBL process and Mizzou Med as a whole, I am able to schedule my own time and have the time to navigate medical school while also taking care of, and spend time with, my family. I am happy that I chose the University of Missouri and would definitely make the same choice again if I had the chance. I have found great friends not only in my M1 class, but in the administrators and office of medical education. Not only are the students at Mizzou Med extremely collaborative, but also every faculty member and advisor that I have had the opportunity to work with have been genuinely interested in my success. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Hope to see you here in the future!

Brad Emmerich

Brad Emmerich

Bio

  • Hometown: Madison, WI
  • Undergrad: University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Major: Kinesiology, Biology
  • Med Specialty: Possibly Emergency Medicine?
  • Email: bwermf@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

I have spent almost my entire life outside of the state of Missouri. Being from out-of-state, I knew very little about MU School of Medicine when I applied. When I came to Columbia for the first time on the day of my interview, I experienced an atmosphere that I did not experience at the other schools I interviewed at. The fellow interviewees were friendly, and the current medical students seemed happy. Furthermore, when I attended Second Look Day, I connected with numerous future classmates I am still great friends with today.

After realizing I could be happy here, I did my research to ensure I could be successful in this learning environment. MUSOM consistently performs well above the national average on the USMLE Step 1 Exam. Doing well opens doors regarding medical specialty choice and residency location. This is in large part due to our patient-based learning (PBL) curriculum which is credited with not only our stellar performance on Step 1, but also better preparing us for our third- and fourth-year clinical rotations.

Choosing a medical school is an important step in your professional career. I concluded that MUSOM was the right fit for me personally and professionally. Hopefully you reach the same conclusion! If you have any questions regarding being from out of state, taking a gap year (I worked in a hospital for a year between undergrad and medical school), or any questions in general, feel free to reach out!

Eric Grisham

Eric Grisham

Bio

  • Hometown: Washington, MO
  • Undergrad: Loyola University Chicago
  • Major: Psychology
  • Med Specialty: Unknown
  • Email: eaggzd@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hello future MD candidates! My name is Eric Grisham. I am here to tell you that it does get better. When I was younger, I did not to be a doctor. And yet, here I am and here you go!

I took a somewhat circuitous route to medical school. After graduating high school, I moved to Chicago to attend Loyola University Chicago and pursue degrees in music performance (violin) and English literature. Two years into my education, I realized that many of the things that I loved about English and about music would still be available to me regardless of my career. So, I took a step back and started looking at my other interests. 

It turns out that I loved science; many of the things that interested me about literature were rooted in understanding human nature, and the scientific underpinnings of human nature fascinated me. I began pursing a degree in psychology and never looked back. I started to imagine a career as a doctor. And what better way to combine science, human connection, and academia than with medicine? After quickly taking all the pre-requisite courses and spending a few years working in the healthcare field as a medical technologist, a phlebotomist, an ER scribe, and a pharmacy technician, I knew that I needed to be a physician. 

Mizzou Medicine is a great place to be! I was accepted very late off of the waitlist (I don't recommend doing that! The anticipation was a bit scary...), but I've always been treated like any other student. My classmates and I have quickly become close friends and the patient-based learning (PBL) process allows us to apply our new clinical skills in a way that many medical students don't get to do. The curriculum is rooted in basic science, but also in real human experiences. Mizzou has quickly become my new home. When I'm not studying, I enjoy playing violin, reading, listening to music, taking part in research, playing soccer, and participating in various Mizzou Med organizations. 

If you have any questions about my experience at Mizzou Med, applying as an out-of-state or waitlisted applicant, or what life is like in Columbia, I urge you to email me! I'd be happy to share my experiences regarding what worked for me as I applied as a non-traditional applicant and to speak to my experiences here so far. Best of luck!

Shelby Harris

Shelby Harris

Bio

  • Hometown: Nixa, MO
  • Undergrad: Missouri State University
  • Major: Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry
  • Med Specialty: Orthopedic Surgery
  • Email: Smhfp8@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hello prospective students! I’m Shelby Harris and I am wishing you all the best in your journey in applying to medical school, and I am here to give you some of my background and how I ended up at Mizzou!

Some background: Growing up, both of my parents worked in the medical field and I have always had a strong interest in medicine. I was lucky enough to be able to play football collegiately at MSU, and this had a big impact on my college experience and education. I was able to be involved in research at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center, associated with MSU, and this was a passion of mine throughout undergrad. I completed research projects involving silver-resistant bacteria, as well as projects in the gut microbiome. Many of my pre-med friends were highly involved in the hospital with either jobs or other experiences, but I had a different pre-med experience with my focuses being athletics and research so I was a little unique in my road to medical school. I began attending Mizzou Med the fall directly after undergrad! 

Throughout the application process, I had my eyes set on Mizzou. I had visited Columbia for undergraduate college visits and other various occasions growing up, and the campus and surrounding community had always felt like home to me. SEC athletics creates a sporty atmosphere that I love. The medical school building connects to the hospital to create its own medical community, but is also is right by recreational fields and blends with the main campus so it is the best of both worlds. We are the first class in the new building, and the new facilities are amazing and truly cannot accurately be put into words (this is a huge perk). The Columbia area offers many outdoor activities such as walking/biking trails and dog parks, but also has a great downtown vibe and the city is full of really good restaurants. I knew about the Patient Based Learning curriculum throughout the application process, but I didn’t really understand what that meant until I had gone through the interviews and really talked about it with some of the current students. I really fell in love with the sound of the curriculum as we utilize groups and walk through real clinical cases, and truly get to study however we study best. This was very appealing to me! The students and faculty were always genuine to me throughout the application process but as a current student I can say that they continue to care about each and every one of us. My classmates have become my best friends and that makes the whole experience a really great time!

I have really enjoyed my time here at Mizzou, and still get to enjoy hobbies like spending time with my dog Rocky, going to many Mizzou athletic events (yes there is time for that), and even traveling on our breaks from school. I would love to answer any questions that you have, and would love to expand upon my experience here at Mizzou. Please feel free to email me, and I look forward to hearing from you!

photo pending

Ally Tucker

Bio

  • Hometown: Saint Louis, MO
  • Undergrad: Belmont University - Nashville, TN
  • Major: Spanish and Business Administration 
  • Med Specialty: I’m interested in Trauma Surgery or Orthopedics
  • Email: amt3c7@health.missouri.edu 
  • Other Important Info: I am Air Force HPSP and in a long-distance relationship 

Why I Chose MU

I’ve always had my own way of doing things, and it turns out that medical school is no different. I am a non-traditional student: I had no idea I wanted to do medicine until I got home from a year-long stint in Norway. I had taken one chemistry class in undergrad and had absolutely no other experience. I also had nowhere to live, no way to pay for prerequisite classes, and no idea what I was doing. I definitely felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants the whole time. It’s a long story, but despite all the obstacles, I was able to figure it out and make it happen. Which still sometimes seems like something of a miracle (as well as the result of a ton of elbow grease.) I now mentor several pre-med students in many different phases of the application process, and it brings me so much joy to help other people in the process that made me feel so lost and more than a little bit hopeless. 

Now that I’m here, it’s so wonderful to be working so hard for something that is meaningful. It’s a nice change of pace, from working so hard just to get in! The curriculum here really is very open to your own personal learning style. It leaves me so much time to do all the other things I love, like taking my dog to the park, doing CrossFit and yoga and traveling home to see my boyfriend. There’s room for balance at Mizzou, and that means you can make it through school without giving up all the things that make your life fun. 

So, I am available to answer questions, email, have coffee, calm fears… I know I needed all those things when I was pre-med and during the first year of medical school. This process doesn’t have to be miserable. I think medical school is actually pretty fun if you do it the right way. Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have, or if you just need to know a friendly face when you walk on campus. 

M4s

Faria Ahmed

Faria Ahmed

Bio

  • Hometown: Bettendorf, Iowa
  • Undergrad: Augustana College
  • Major: Biology, psychology
  • Med Specialty: Undecided
  • Email: faq39@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hi, prospective medical students! As you can see, I’m not originally from Missouri, although I’ve lived here for the past several years. I am also a pretty non-traditional student in terms of my experiences before medical school. I grew up in Iowa and went to a small liberal arts school in Illinois for undergrad. I was interested in medicine and had the idea of medical school in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to make that commitment right away. Instead, I spent a year volunteering with Americorps in St. Louis. Afterward, I went to graduate school for my Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work, but as I completed my internships and started looking for jobs after graduation, I knew that what I really wanted to do was go to medical school. I worked as a clinical research coordinator in oncology at Washington University after completing my grad program while I applied to medical school. As a coordinator, I worked really closely with the patients and their families, as well as the physicians and clinical teams. I enjoyed what I did, but it affirmed my decision that going back to school, yet again, was the right choice.

Now that I’m at Mizzou, I know that I made the right choice of school as well. Coming from a social sciences background, I knew that sitting in lecture all day, every day was the exact opposite of how I learned best. The Patient-Based Learning curriculum means that instead we spend a lot more time learning from each other and seeing how the information we learn in the lectures fits into the clinical picture of our PBL cases. In undergrad and graduate school, I sometimes struggled with seeing how my education would really play out in my career, and at Mizzou, how my education relates to my career is apparent from the very beginning. It’s also nice that we have more free time than other curriculum styles, which means more time to learn the material, more time to get involved with organizations at school and more time just to live life. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, especially in regard to changing careers or being a non-traditional student! You can reach me at faq39@health.missouri.edu.

Melissa An

Melissa An

Bio

  • Hometown: St. Louis
  • Undergrad Institution: Dartmouth College
  • Major: Neuroscience; Minor: Anthropology of global health
  • Med Specialty: Undecided
  • Email: ma8vd@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hi everyone! Congrats on getting this far on your journey into medicine, and we’re excited to share our take on what medical school is like at Mizzou. Looking back on my own path, I was always somewhat drawn toward medicine from a young age, and I credit my different experiences throughout my undergraduate and gap years for ultimately shaping my career goals. Through my undergraduate roles as a residential advisor and mentor, along with my clinical experiences, I better understood my love for working and connecting with people. My extensive involvement in global health efforts in college developed my strong interest in the intersection of social justice and health care, which became a big driver of my decision to pursue medicine. From there, I had the opportunity to deeply engage in health care at the population level, with a health communications Centers for Disease Control internship and two gap years at a diabetes/obesity-focused health care information company. All of these combined experiences cemented my passion to go into medicine to not only provide compassionate, patient-centered care, but also to use a physician’s influence to work toward greater health equity across the United States and the world.

Now at Mizzou, I’ve been able to continue this path. While I call St. Louis my hometown, I’ve lived around the country for the past six years, having gone to school in the Northeast and spending my gap years in San Francisco. Coming to Mizzou has been an amazing way for me to return home, and while I had some anxiety moving to Columbia from my big-city work life, I have been more than pleasantly surprised by what Mizzou has to offer. The Patient-Based Learning curriculum has given me the chance to really feel like a problem-solving physician from day one, and the Mizzou community provides a great support network for the students here, as well as opportunities to learn more about my career interests outside of class.

If you have any questions on applying as an out-of-state applicant, on what life is like in Columbia, what public/global health looks like here, or really anything else, please don’t hesitate to email me!

Jack Andrews

Jack Andrews

Bio

  • Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
  • Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
  • Majors: Animal sciences and psychology
  • Med Specialty: Undecided
  • Email: andrewsjh@missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hi, future doctors! My name is Jack, and as you can see above, I’m originally from Columbus, Ohio. I will always be very proud of my roots in the Buckeye State, but I am now equally proud to be a student of the University of Missouri School of Medicine. More specifically, I am actually a student in our school’s combined MD/PhD program, so in addition to my medical degree, I will also be completing a PhD in clinical psychology.

You may not know this, but Mizzou is actually one of only a handful of universities in the country that allows MD/PhD students to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology (most schools limit students to choosing PhD programs in more traditional biomedical sciences). I’m telling you this in part because it helps to explain why I chose to come here myself, but more important, because it is great example of why I think you should choose to come here, too. The thing that I love most about Mizzou Med is the incredibly supportive environment it provides for all students. Just as I and other students are freely encouraged to complete a PhD in any field of study that we choose, so also will you be welcomed and fully supported in pursuing whatever passions or new ideas you may have.

The top priority of every person in the MU School of Medicine is to ensure that we as students become the most effective, ethical, compassionate, inspired and astute health care professionals that we can possibly be. From the first minute I arrived on campus for my interviews, I have seen this demonstrated by the actions of every staff member, professor and administrator I have encountered. They greet everyone with a smile and are always willing to stop, listen and respond when we have questions or feedback. They truly value diverse perspectives, encourage independent thinking and student-driven change and provide resources to help us thrive inside and outside of the classroom. Equally incredible is the support that we receive from our fellow students. It is humbling to see the amount of time older students spend mentoring and getting to know younger students here. The 100 percent collaborative nature of our curriculum truly makes all 100-plus members of our class feel like family.

I know all of this may sound too good to be true, but I assure you it’s not. I would never waste valuable study time to write this if I didn’t honestly feel so strongly! I feel incredibly fortunate to be a student here, and I know that you will, too, if you decide to come here. So please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email if you have any questions at all! I’d love to share any information that may be helpful to you, including my perspective as an MD/PhD student, as a non-traditional student (I took four years off after undergrad), or as an out-of-state student (I was a little worried initially about moving from a much bigger city, but I’ve been in Columbia for more than three years now, and I love it).

Matt Hirabayashi

Matt Hirabayashi

Bio

  • Hometown: St. Louis
  • Undergraduate: Saint Louis University
  • Major: Biology
  • Med Specialty:  Undecided
  • Email: mthc8b@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hello! My name is Matt Hirabayashi and I’m an M1 from Chesterfield, Mo. I graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and came here right after college for medical school! I’m happy to answer any questions you have about Mizzou, Patient-Based Learning or anything else prospective students may be wondering about!

My interest in medicine started a long time ago when my grandfather required some bypass surgeries. It was remarkable to me that a team of health care professionals could work together to make such an incredible impact on my family. Throughout school I was naturally drawn to science and shadowed different physicians, which really solidified my decisions to live a life of continuous learning and service to others.

Many things stood out about MU when applying. The patient-based learning curriculum sounded like it would fit in well with how I learn best. Along with that, all the people I encountered while applying were extremely kind and caring. The students were really helpful and it was certainly indicative of the non-competitive and collaborative atmosphere here. This was definitely the right decision for me!

In between studying, I’m very passionate about fitness, listening to/making music and many other little hobbies. Finding a healthy life balance is incredibly important, and Columbia definitely offers many opportunities for that! Please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask questions! It wasn’t that long ago I was exactly where you are!

Megan McCaul

Megan McCaul

Bio

  • Hometown: Rolla, Mo.
  • Undergrad: Westminster College
  • Major: Biochemistry with a biological emphasis
  • Med Specialty: Undecided
  • Email: mem795@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember, because each day growing up I got to hear about all of the cool things that my parents had done at work. As I have gotten older, I have discovered many more reasons why I want to be a physician, some of which I am sure you share with me. Because of this, I chose the major at my college that was the best fit with medical school requirements. While taking those classes, I realized over and over how much I really wanted to be a physician. I realized, too, that I wanted to go to a medical school that gave me that same feeling each day.

Mizzou Med reminds me each week during Patient-Based Learning just how much I want to be a physician. My classmates have quickly become some of my best friends, and they push me to achieve more and to know more than I did the day before. During PBL, I get to apply the things that I have been learning my whole life toward a new case each week. During these cases I get to learn so many new things in a way that is fun for me. While we are working through the problems of our patient each week, we are also learning the basic science that is crucial for our understanding. Our facilitators are great and help to keep us on track without being stuck in a lecture hall all day. Mizzou’s curriculum has been a great fit for me thus far, and I am excited for it to continue.

While in undergrad, I was really involved in various campus organizations, and that is something that I hoped to continue during medical school. At Mizzou there are a ton of different organizations to get involved with that have really helped me to feel more connected to the school. I like feeling engaged with my school community because that is what allowed me to feel instantly at home at Westminster, and I have been so happy to find the same thing at Mizzou.

Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions you have. I love to share my experiences, and I would love to help you during this exciting time of your life! I am also a Bryant Scholar, so if you have any questions about the Bryant program or rural track, please feel free to reach out.

Garrett Ungerer

Garrett Ungerer

Bio

  • Hometown: Arnold, Mo.
  • Undergraduate: University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Major: Biology
  • Graduate: Saint Louis University
  • Major: Master of medical science physician assistant
  • Med Specialty: Neurosurgery or neurointervention
  • Email: gnuxbb@mizzou.edu

Why I Chose MU

I would consider myself an alternative medical student. I did not start my undergraduate years knowing what I wanted to do, and after completing a biology degree, I still had quite a bit of uncertainty. No one in my family is a physician or associated with health care, so I had little exposure growing up. But I did know three things about myself that I wanted to incorporate into my future profession. First, I wanted to work in a profession that served other people. I knew that if I felt that I was truly making a difference in peoples’ lives, my career would feel less like a job and more like a purpose. Secondly, I wanted to pursue something that would continue to allow me to work with my hands. I have spent countless hours perfecting woodworking skills, remodeling houses, playing guitar and solving problems, all with my hands. I take great satisfaction from any task that I can complete in a hands-on manner, and I wanted a career that allowed me to continue to work with them on a daily basis. Thirdly, I was seeking a profession that would continue to challenge me intellectually, allowing me to continue a lifelong endeavor for knowledge and self-betterment.

Following college, I did some soul searching and ultimately realized a career in medicine satisfied all the criteria. At that point, however, I was unsure how to best pursue such an important profession. I further researched careers in medicine, and two paths unfolded in front of me. The first was a career as a physician, but the long medical school followed by the even longer residency was daunting at the time. I instead chose to become a physician assistant, and it was during this educational process that I fell deeply in love with every facet of medicine, both academically and clinically. Following graduation from PA school in 2011, I joined a neurosurgery group in Saint Louis. Becoming a PA solidified my love for medicine, and working as a neurosurgical PA solidified my even deeper love and appreciation for the neurosciences. As an integrated part of our medical team, I was afforded the opportunity to take care of patients during every stage of their disease process. The more I interacted with patients, their families and other members of the care team, the more I was exposed to difficult cases with complex pathological processes and the more I realized how little I truly knew.

My decision to become a physician was not an easy one, primarily because I already had a profession that I sincerely enjoyed. Ultimately, I realized that everything that I loved about being a PA would only be magnified as a physician. As a current Mizzou medical student, I find myself constantly submerged in new clinical experiences and a more in-depth medical education, and I could not feel more confident in my decision to become a physician.

Joseph Zimmer

Joseph Zimmer

Bio

  • Hometown: Rogersville, Mo.
  • Undergrad: Missouri State University
  • Major: Chemistry
  • Specialty: Undecided
  • Email:  jznp6@health.missouri.edu

Why I Chose MU

Hello all, my name is Joe Zimmer, and I am from a small town outside of Springfield, Mo. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry the year before coming to MU.

I grew up without much exposure to medicine, but I always enjoyed school (particularly my science classes) and I developed a curiosity for medicine through high school. My primary passion in those years was sports, which ultimately led me to wrestle for the University of Nebraska after high school. Realizing that my passion had shifted from wrestling to the field of medicine, I gave up my athletic career and dove headfirst into learning more about medicine. I transferred and finished my chemistry degree while working as a scribe in the emergency department and shadowing at every opportunity I could get. I was excited to pursue a career I found mentally stimulating and challenging but also offered the opportunity to work with people and serve my community.

Through the application process, I was very excited to start my medical education at an institution that would help me learn the skills necessary to become a skilled, patient-centered physician. Needless to say, Mizzou was my dream school! The Patient-Based Learning curriculum allows us to approach our education working as a team of doctors, thinking critically and compassionately. Collaboration with classmates is a huge part of the program, which helps develop our ability to work as a team. It also really makes our class very close, which is a lot of fun! In addition to getting lectures from an excellent, diverse faculty, we learn how to become successful, self-directed learners equipped with the skills necessary to be students of medicine for the rest of our careers.

Most important, the medical school and Office of Medical Education (OME) staff are great! Whenever I need help with anything, academic or unrelated, I know that there are so many smiling faces that are eager to help. That personality is infectious, and I believe is part of what makes MU the exciting learning environment that it is.

When I’m not spending time at school, I enjoy exercising at the rec center, exploring Columbia’s incredible mountain biking/hiking trails with classmates and playing some bluegrass music on my guitar! If you have any questions, please let me know at jznp@health.missouri.edu and I would be happy to help. Best of luck to you!

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