Family Medicine Third-Year Residents

Medical School: University of Missouri: Columbia

Bio: I am originally from St. Charles, MO, but feel like Columbia has become my home! I moved here for undergrad and fell in love with the Tigers and have stayed ever since. 

There are so many reasons I chose to go into Family Medicine. I love how relational family medicine is, the ability to see patients of all ages, and how broad the scope of medicine is that I get to practice. I have a particular interest in womens health and taking care of kiddos!  

Choosing Mizzou for residency was such a natural decision for me. The faculty here are wonderful—they are so intent on teaching, mentoring, and providing evidence based care. There is also a strong community feel amount the residents. And of course, Columbia is the best! 

In my free time, my husband and I are mainly running after our toddler and crazy pup! We love getting outside, exploring Columbia’s trails, and then getting Andy’s ice cream. 

Medical School: AT Still University: Kirksville, MO

Why you chose Family Medicine: chose Family Medicine because I love seeing all ages of patients from infants to geriatrics. I love that I will learn to do a variety of procedures from joint injection to skin biopsies and many things in between. Family medicine will give me the opportunity to work in a variety of settings with patients at many different stages of life. I can start seeing a patient as an infant and continue to be their doctor for the rest of their life. I can take care of whole families for both their long-term health and for acute care visits.

Why you chose University of Missouri: I chose the University of Missouri because I loved the many opportunities this program provided including opportunities to continue to purse my passion for sports medicine, develop my point of care ultrasound skills as well as the opportunity to experience a more rural setting while also being in an academic center. I hope to stay and practice in Missouri after I finish residency and a sports medicine fellowship so choosing the University of Missouri will also allow me to make connections in the state, I hope to continue my career in. 

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I am from Saint Joseph, Michigan which is a town in Southwest Michigan on Lake Michigan. I lived there all my life until I went to college. I only went about an hour north for college to Holland, Michigan which is also a town along lake Michigan. I lived there for 3 years after college before coming to Missouri for medical school. 

Random fact/facts about you: Growing up I was a competitive gymnast which led to becoming a gymnastics coach and after college I worked as an athletic trainer for two gymnastics clubs.

I enjoy planting and tending to a vegetable garden. I have recently expanded this to tending to a small orchard including apple, pear, peach, and cherry trees. I also like to can the excess vegetables and fruit or make apple sauce or jam with them.

Specialty interests: I plan to pursue a sports medicine fellowship after completing my Family Medicine Residency. I would love to one day serve as a team physician for a gymnastics team or professional dance company.

Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University: Philadelphia

Bio: Originally from Wichita, Kansas, I have been lucky to explore the country and live on both coasts but am so excited to be coming back to the Midwest for residency. I went to college at The University of Notre Dame - Go Irish! - where I developed a love for a variety of social justice issues - namely more equitable health care access. With a desire to explore this interest more in depth, I completed a service year working at an Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Oakland, CA after college. This confirmed and ignited my desire to work alongside those striving to improve their own health and our community’s health despite the systemic barriers that are in place. I then went to medical school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. I found wonderful mentors in Family Medicine who were doing the work I wanted to do and who were people I wanted to emulate - being a leader in health equity and practicing compassionate social medicine. I chose The University of Missouri Family Medicine Residency because I saw that not only would this residency support me in my individual goals, but also, that it would provide a strong foundation in all areas of Family Medicine - so that I can bring the highest quality care to my patients. Additionally, I felt the positive, loving community environment from all the residents I interacted with.

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, coffee, good food, playing with my cats, enjoying quality time with loved ones, and a variety of artistic pursuits. I look forward to having my continuity clinic at Compass Health Network - the FQHC associated with the residency - and exploring all the new things Columbia has to offer!

Medical School: University of Missouri: Columbia

Why you chose Family Medicine: To put it simply, I chose Family Medicine because I love everything about it. I really enjoy the continuity of being able to work with the same patients and build relationships with them over a lifetime. I love the variety of what a day in Family Medicine looks like and that I can see a baby, a geriatric patient, or anything in-between. With Family Medicine, I feel like I can help a patient with any problem they come in with or at least get them set up with the right people. I also enjoy the lifestyle and flexibility that Family Medicine provides and that I can practice medicine in a rural community.

Why you chose University of Missouri: I went to the University of Missouri for medical school, and I thought that the Family Medicine Residency Program was organized very well. I could tell all the people in leadership are very competent and caring. I felt like I fit in with the current residents and felt a passion for teaching. I also was drawn to the fact that I could have my continuity clinic in a rural setting. Therefore, it was a natural choice to decide to stay here for residency. I knew I would graduate being a competent Family Medicine physician. As an added bonus, Columbia is the residency program that is closest to home for my wife and I so it will be easier to see family and friends more often.

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I am originally from a small town in central Missouri called Chamois. My family and many of my lifelong friends still live in the area. I am the youngest of 4 children and have 4 amazing nieces and 2 awesome nephews.  I met my wife, Cheyenne, when we were in undergrad at Missouri State University. We have been blessed to be both be able to pursue the same path with both of us being accepted into Mizzou for medical school and now residency. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time exercising or playing sports. Basketball would be my favorite. I also enjoy playing an online game called League of Legends with many of my friends from Missouri State. My wife and I are very big Kansas City Chiefs fans, so we always watch their game every weekend and try to go to a game at Arrowhead every year. We also have a sweet, affectionate Maltipoo named Lily who we enjoy playing with and taking on walks. Lily is only 7lbs but loves to chase squirrels up trees.

Specialty interests: After residency, I plan on practicing outpatient medicine in a rural setting. While I am interested in all areas of medicine, I am especially passionate about rural health, pediatrics, and preventative medicine.

Medical School: University of Missouri: Columbia

Why you chose Family Medicine: I came into medical school thinking that family medicine would likely be my path but tried to keep my mind open. As my training continued I continually came back to family medicine as the specialty that felt like home. I love the idea of taking care of generations of families from babies to those with a few more years under their belt. Every day in family medicine brings new challenges that force problem-solving and critical thinking, especially in areas with less access to healthcare. I want to practice rural medicine in the future, and I feel like family medicine allows for a diverse practice in areas that really need access to consistent healthcare.

Why you chose University of Missouri: From my first experiences with the Family Medicine department at Mizzou I knew it was the place I wanted to be for residency. The residents are exceptionally trained and get a wide range of experiences. They do that while still fostering a culture of support. Residents are always lifting each other up and helping each other to be better, which is exactly the kind of environment I wanted to be in.

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I am from a smalltown south-central Missouri named Dixon. I’m the oldest of three siblings and enjoy spending time with my family. I got married to my husband, Brent, right before medical school. We are now starting the journey of family medicine residency together! We have a sweet 7lb pup, named Lily, who we are obsessed. We are HUGE Chiefs fans. I also love reading a good thriller, trying new board games, and testing out skincare products.

Specialty interests: No specific specialty interest at this time, I am drawn to the diversity that general family medicine allows for! I am leaning towards practicing general outpatient family medicine rurally in the future.

Medical School: AT Still University: Kirksville, MO

Why you chose Family Medicine: I chose Family Medicine due to the wide scope of practice, being able to help prevent patients from getting chronic diseases, help prevent acute disease from putting people into the hospital systems, and building long lasting friendships with the people in my future community. I plan to return to a rural community around the area where I grew up and give back to the people and community that raised me.

Why you chose University of Missouri: Being from Missouri, the University of Missouri has always been a shining pillar of education and excellence in the state. The quality of the education they are able to provide me will prepare me for my future endeavors. There is the opportunity to train in rural areas while having the resources of a large university. Being able to pursue family medicine at the University of Missouri will provide me training such as ultrasound, the advances in common clinic procedures, the latest guidelines on common health problems, opportunity for wound care, addiction medicine, and continuing to learn and advance my OMT skills.

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies, etc.: I grew up on a farm in Cuba, Missouri; a small town about 2 hours south of Columbia. Growing up on the farm taught me life lessons that I am still able to use today with my current area of education. Throughout medical school I still played an active role on the family farm, transitioning it from a tradition farm to selling products directly to consumers. We use a lot of different sustainable agriculture practices to provide high quality products to the people of Missouri. After residency I plan to continue farming, eventually taking over the family farm and possibly expanding it.

Random fact/facts about you: Prior to medical school I attended Missouri University of Science and Technology getting a degree in biochemical engineering. It is awesome to see that my education will end with another school within the University of Missouri System.

I can be found on YouTube educating people about farming topics; helping to educate people where their food comes from. Simply search Delhi Sustainable Farms, then let me know what you learned and other ways I can help educate the state on the topics!

Specialty interests: My passion in medicine is rural, broad-spectrum medicine, and helping the underserved communities. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a healthcare dessert in central Missouri and it is my mission to help expand the care people are able to receive in their hometowns. I do have an increased interest in wound care and addiction medicine, but not interests strong enough to pursue a fellowship after residency.

Medical School: University of Missouri: Columbia

Why you chose Family Medicine: Within family medicine, you truly get to do everything. For those of us that do not want to choose between the various medical fields out there, family medicine gives you a taste of all specialties while also making a significant impact on our patient’s lives. I get to walk into one room and talk about depression then walk into the next and discuss childhood vaccinations – it really is a treat and keeps life interesting!

Why you chose University of Missouri: I have been in Columbia now for the past 8 years for both undergrad (where I studied religious studies and biological sciences) and medical school. Columbia has become my wife and I’s home over the past few years, and we would be hard pressed to leave. The family and community medicine program here is also incredible, it would be tough to go elsewhere knowing all of the great physicians and residents that make up this program.

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I’m originally from St. Louis, but I have lived all over the Midwest including Arkansas and Minnesota. While most of my family still lives in STL, my wife and I have been here for the last 8 years. We have a son that we just welcomed into the family and an Aussie-doodle. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and son, reading, baking bread and gardening!

Random fact/facts about you: Despite the fact that I am 6 ‘6”, I cannot play basketball to save my life. No need to ask me – no I didn’t play basketball in high school.

Specialty interests: I am interested in palliative medicine, but I am not sure yet whether that is something that I want to pursue further. Only time will tell!

Medical School: West Virginia University: Morgantown

Why you chose Family Medicine: As I look back now, when I first said I wanted to be a doctor, I really meant that I wanted to be a family physician. The only doctor that I was aware of as a child was my family doctor; so that’s really what I thought it meant to be a doctor. I wanted to be the person my community could turn to for preventative care, for sick visits, for their questions, for health resources, for whatever might be needed at any given time. I love continuity of care. I love the age spectrum. I love the broad scope of practice. Mostly importantly though, I love that through pursuing a career in family medicine, I have the unique opportunity to engage with, empower, and grow with the members of my community.

Why you chose Family Medicine: After spending a month here on my audition rotation, I knew this program was going to be a great fit for me. The University of Missouri offers a strong reputation for family medicine training and is a well-respected program within the hospital system. Knowing that I want to practice rurally after completing residency, I loved that I could have my continuity clinic in Fayette or Fulton. From the minute I was in contact with the program, I felt welcomed and supported here. For these reasons and more, I am very excited to be able to train here for the next three years.

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I grew up on a small family farm in central Pennsylvania. Our farm is found nestled into the end of the Sugar Valley surrounded by mountains, streams, and forest land: making it a truly amazing place to grow up. In my free time now, I enjoy playing sports – soccer in particular – and spending as much time as possible outdoors. I love hiking, fishing, gardening, running, and spending summer nights around campfires with good company.

Random fact/facts about you: I am a former Farm City Festival milk-chugging champion.

Specialty interests: I am passionate about rural health care and hold some interests for sports medicine as well!

Medical School: Kansas City University: Missouri

Bio: I grew up on a farm in Higbee, MO, so I’m no stranger to Columbia! My family live and work in the area and I’ve spent most of my life in the small towns around Columbia. I chose family medicine because I like to help people understand their own health and build their own health care plans. I always hoped I would be able to come home to the area, and Mizzou Family Medicine offered me the best of both worlds: I could obtain an incredible and varied learning experience while giving back to my community.

I enjoy being involved in advocacy, both on healthcare and social justice fronts. I care a lot about LGBTQ+ health and wellness, and I’m involved in community programs helping to support and connect our community. When I’m not at the hospital or the State Capitol, I’m spending quality time with my dogs! We go out for walks or stay in for some reading time. Fun fact about me: I’m a huge Stephen King fan, and I’ve read over fifty of his books.

Medical School: University of Missouri: Columbia

Why you chose Family Medicine: I’ve known since I started medical school that I wanted to go back to a rural area, but I wasn’t sure exactly how I would practice there. Family medicine seemed like the perfect fit to help the most people in a rural area and I love getting to take care of entire families!

Why you chose University of Missouri: I chose Mizzou because when I thought about my best and favorite teachers, I always came back to the physicians in the family medicine department at Mizzou. I knew that I wanted to be able to keep learning from them during my residency. The program also has so many opportunities to learn rural medicine and geriatrics. I knew that whatever interests I had, I would have faculty and residents that supported me!

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I grew up on a farm outside of Marshall, MO. Growing up, I worked on the farm taking care of our bottle calves and pigs. I loved the afternoon combine rides. My dad, uncle and brother still farm full time together, but I hope to be able to have a role in the farm whenever I finish up residency. My husband, Brody, and I got married in May of this year. We enjoy going to red dirt country music concerts at The Blue Note in town, cooking new recipes at home, and finding new bass and crappie fishing spots.

Random fact/facts about you: One fun fact about me is that I have been to over 50 concerts, most of them since I’ve been in Columbia!

Specialty interests: I really love rural medicine and geriatrics and am interested in doing a geriatrics fellowship. I plan to go back to a rural area to practice and hope to do a lot of geriatrics in my clinic and nursing home care.

Medical School: University of Missouri: Columbia

Why you chose Family Medicine: I chose Family Medicine because I wanted variety in my clinical practice and I really value continuity of patient care.

Why you chose University of Missouri: I went to medical school at Mizzou and I chose to stay for residency because I knew we had an outstanding Family Medicine program and I loved the Columbia area. The residency faculty and staff seemed dedicated to developing compassionate, capable physicians and genuinely care about the health and wellness of the residents.

Tell us about your hometown, family, pets and hobbies: I’m from Springfield, MO and have three siblings. I currently have two cats with my fiancé, but we’re always tempted to adopt another. I love doing anything outdoors, reading, listening to podcasts, and sewing.

Random fact/facts:

• I have an identical twin sister.
• I am a certified scuba diver.
• I listen to too many podcasts and am always looking for recommendations!

Specialty interests: I plan to see patients in a primary care setting and plan to work in an underserved area.

Medical School: University of Iowa: Iowa City

Bio: I am from St. Louis and went to college in San Diego. I loved the sun and the beach but I also missed the Midwest environment and the people. I returned to do medical school in Iowa and then wanted to be a bit closer to home for residency. Most of my family is in St. Louis and I have a sister in Kentucky with two children. I have two cats at home that I spoil. When I have time I enjoy oil painting and long distance running.

A big reason I chose family medicine was for the continuity of care. I like getting to know my patients and seeing them for many years.  At the end of medical school, I also realized I had a lot of different interests including sports medicine, pain management, and geriatrics. Family medicine provided me an opportunity to peruse all of these interests and combine them into a single practice. I chose the University of Missouri as it offered versatile training. Here, I can get in-depth training in sports med, geriatrics, and provide MAT resources to patients.

Medical School: St. Louis University: Missouri

Bio: I grew up in Kimberly, a smaller town in Wisconsin that is about 30 minutes south of Green Bay. Yes, this does mean I am a cheese head and avid packer fan! I stayed in Wisconsin for my undergraduate education at UW-Milwaukee. I took a gap year before starting medical school and continued to live in Wisconsin and worked as a nursing assistant. I then moved to Missouri where I completed medical school at Saint Louis University.

I decided on family medicine during my third-year family med rotation where I absolutely fell in love with this specialty. I love the broad scope of family practice and the longitudinal relationships that you build with patients. I am looking forward to caring for patients from cradle to grave!

I was initially drawn to Mizzou because of its strong reputation and because one of the excellent physicians I worked with at SLU had completed their training at Mizzou. I was then completely sold on Mizzou during my interview day. I have an interest in sports medicine and was looking for a program that offered a sports medicine fellowship. I also have grown to love Missouri having spent the last 4 years in Saint Louis and am looking forward to spending at least 3 more years in this wonderful state!

During my free time I enjoy lifting weights, playing basketball, fishing, and most importantly spending time with my wife and dog. Ask me about my dog!