Med-Peds Residents

Home Town: St. Louis
Medical School: University of Missouri School of Medicine
Career interests/research: Chronic complex care, transition from pediatric to adult care, primary care, hospital medicine
After residency: I am still undecided!
Hobbies/Interests: Drawing, painting, woodworking, walking my dog, hiking, going to concerts, seeing movies in theaters, playing Rummikub, traveling
Bio: I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I majored in Biology, Health, and Society and minored in English Literature. After graduation, I spent a year working with Project Horseshoe Farm, a community health nonprofit in rural Alabama. This experience deepened my understanding of the social determinants of health and reinforced the importance of trust and connection in relationship-centered care for patients of all ages. I returned to Missouri to attend medical school at Mizzou, where I was introduced to Med-Peds. Through my experiences at Woodrail Clinic, inpatient rotations, and alongside Med-Peds residents and faculty, I realized that Med-Peds combined everything I enjoyed most about medicine. I also experienced firsthand the strong sense of community within the program. Those experiences confirmed that Mizzou was where I wanted to continue my training, and I am excited to grow as a physician while caring for patients across the lifespan in the community that has already shaped so much of my medical education. Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my new dog, Alice, making art for friends and family, and exploring the trails around Columbia.

Home Town: Bolivar, MO
Medical School: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Career interests/research: In typical Med-Peds fashion, I like a little bit of everything! So far, I have enjoyed both clinic and inpatient settings, as well as rotations in endocrinology and ID.
After residency: Still open to fellowship, but leaning towards either Med-Peds primary care or combined hospitalist. We’ll see where residency takes me!
Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my cats Calcifer and Magikarp, reading, cooking and baking my way through my Pinterest boards, container gardening, playing Stardew Valley, taking walks or hammocking in nature, exploring nearby restaurants and coffee shops, playing card and board games, and trying new crafts.
Bio: I grew up in Bolivar, MO and completed undergrad at Drury University in Springfield, MO. Prior to medical school, I worked as a bookkeeper in my grandma’s flower shop, at my local movie theater, and as an EKG and arterial blood gas tech at one of the hospitals near my college. My interest in medicine first began when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child and became immersed in the world of medicine. I knew I was interested in pediatrics going into medical school, but quickly realized I couldn’t give up adult medicine. I value the team-oriented framework involved in caring for children and their families, as well as the advocacy, resilience, and joy that accompany pediatric medicine. At the same time, engaging in meaningful discussions about treatment options and goals of care, seeing patients with complex diseases of aging, and the attention to detail and curiosity required in adult medicine drew me in. Knowing I could train broadly with both deep adult specialty exposures and intensive pediatric dedication made Med-Peds the clear choice for me when determining a specialty to incorporate patients of all ages. Med-Peds residents and faculty always stood out to me during interest group meetings, lectures, and early clinic exposures as a group of people I could see myself being part of. I chose Mizzou because of the welcoming feeling of connection among the program’s residents and faculty, the balance between inpatient exposure volume with unique cases and outpatient longitudinal care, Columbia’s small-town feel with college town amenities, and the chance to stay closer to family.

Home Town: Lahore, Pakistan
Medical School: CMH Lahore Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
After residency: Exploring options, Leaning towards a combined Hospitalist but Maybe a Fellowship? Lets see!
Hobbies/Interests: Arts and design lover, people-photographer, and someone who enjoys putting outfits together. Big on family time and even bigger on binge-watching shows, always down to trade TV show recommendations! Lately, learning how to cook with my husband (with mixed results, haha ;) ).
Bio: I was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and coming from a military family, I grew up moving around different parts of the country, so change has basically been the theme of my life.

As a first-generation doctor, I didn’t have a clear roadmap into medicine. I often say it happened through a series of fortunate events, and along the way, I found my place in it and I’m really glad that I did. Medical school brought me back to CMH Lahore, the hospital I was born in, and it was a total full circle moment for me, something that made the journey feel even more meaningful.

Curiosity has always been a big part of who I am. I enjoy learning across different subjects and figuring out how things connect, which probably explains why Med-Peds made so much sense to me haha. I like thinking broadly and enjoy the diagnostic challenge that comes with it. I also value caring for patients across all ages. Med-Peds just fits how my brain works, and it allows me to take care of both adults and children wherever I may go.

Mizzou stood out to me for one main reason: the people. The positivity, the culture of growth and support, and how genuinely welcoming everyone was. There was a very wholesome energy throughout the program. It genuinely felt like a place I could call a second home, and I’m really excited to be a part of it!

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Medical School: College of Medicine, University of Lagos
Career/Research Interests: Cardiology, gastroenterology, Heme/Onc
After Residency: Maybe a cardio, gastroenterology, or heme/onc fellowship or Med-Peds hospitalist medicine?? Still figuring it out.
Hobbies/Interests: Sports (watching and playing basketball, soccer, and football)
Bio: I grew up in a small town in Lagos, Nigeria, and completed my medical degree at the University of Lagos. I was drawn to Med-Peds because I enjoy building long-term relationships with patients and caring for people at every stage of life. I chose Mizzou because it offers excellent training in both adult and pediatric care, and I believe it’s a place where I can grow, both personally and professionally.

Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan
Medical School: Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
Career/Research Interests: Heme/Onc, Critical Care
After Residency: Keeping my options open - literally why I love MedPeds! So, let's see?
Hobbies/Interests: (Big) Swiftie, absolute fan of the cinema (old, new, art-house, foreign, anime, cliche), love to watch cricket and football (soccer?), a Chelsea FC supporter (keep the blue flag flying high!!!), amateur poet, bookworm and a travel junkie. Hoping to learn how to swim, crochet and run a marathon before residency ends.
Bio: I spent the first 25 years of my life in the most beautiful city, Lahore, located in Pakistan. It is rich in history, food, culture, architecture, hospitality and love. I like to always start with this, because I believe this has had a huge impact on who I grew up to be as a person. I went to school, college and then medical school here. And here's the thing about why anyone goes to medical school: they either go for the love of science or for the love of human connection. And while the science completely fascinates me, now more-so than ever. The inspiration for me has always been the people, human connection and the platform for advocacy. I realize how cliche it sounds on paper, but also, I grew up to love cliches. As for MedPeds, as someone who likes to do everything and be everywhere all at once, I never stood a chance. I chose Mizzou because my interview day was genuinely warm and personal. Dr. Butcher and Dr. Emerson made me feel truly welcome, and the social hour was one of the few where I could actually picture myself belonging. Being here I can say with the utmost confidence, Mizzou MedPeds is special not just because of the remarkable training and learning opportunities, but also because of the earnest interest of the program into making sure we succeed both professionally and personally.

Hometown: Sukkur, Pakistan
Medical School: Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
Career/Research Interests: I’m leaning toward Combined Endocrinology but keeping my options open while I explore other specialties. There are just too many fascinating directions in medicine to commit too soon!
After Residency: Too early to carve anything in stone, but I’m excited to see where the journey takes me.
Hobbies/Interests: Writing poems (maybe you’ll see my collection in a bookstore one day), reading novels (I’ll read almost anything I can get my hands on but love mystery/suspense), and dancing (rumor has it I started dancing with my hands before I could walk). I also have a long bucket list of interests to pick up. Currently, learning to bike tops the list.
Bio: I grew up in a small town but a big family that grounded me with strong values and shaped who I am today. Later, I moved to Karachi for medical school, where I embraced independent living, learning to cook, manage my own finances, and explore the city with friends. Throughout medical school, I found myself enjoying every subspecialty, which made choosing just one nearly impossible. Med-Peds became the perfect fit, and I am already in love with caring for patients across all ages.

I still remember the moments before my interview at Mizzou: I was nervous, borderline pacing-a-hole-in-the-floor nervous—but once it began, everything shifted. I felt an instant connection with the faculty; they were supportive, approachable, and genuinely invested in getting to know me beyond my CV. It felt less like an interview and more like a conversation with mentors I hadn’t officially met yet. By the end, I wasn’t just relieved to have survived the process, I was excited at the thought of being part of a program where people truly look out for each other. In short, I found my people.

Hometown: Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Medical School: Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
After Residency: Exploring career options including a combined Med-Peds Cardiology fellowship, Med-Peds Hospitalist, or Adult Cardiology.
Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, cooking, exploring new restaurants, and meeting new people
Bio: I grew up in a small village in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, where all adults and children were cared for by the same doctor. This inspired me to pursue a combined program so I could care for patients across all age ranges.

Outside of medicine, I enjoy traveling, cooking, discovering new cuisines, and exploring new places. I love connecting with people from diverse backgrounds and learning from their experiences.

What I appreciate about MUHC and Columbia is the welcoming environment, where everyone treats newcomers with warmth and makes them feel at home. During my interview, I felt everyone in the program was so kind and supportive that I couldn’t resist placing Mizzou at the top of my rank order list. I am excited to begin this new chapter, grateful for the opportunity to train here, and look forward to growing both personally and professionally.

Hometown: Jefferson City, MO
Medical School: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Buis Creek, NC
After Residency: We’ll see… currently thinking either combined Med-Peds hospitalist, pediatric hospitalist, or outpatient adolescent medicine + transitional medicine. I’m definitely thankful for the flexibility afforded by a Med-Peds residency as someone who hadn’t made up their mind prior to starting residency.
Hobbies/Interests:Love playing volleyball and watching Mizzou’s sports teams compete. I also have family nearby and really enjoy getting to spend time with them during my time off.
Bio: I grew up in the capital of Missouri, Jefferson City. My interest in pursuing a career in healthcare started from a young age after seeing my older sister become a physical therapist and spending time with my uncles, as one is an internal medicine physician and the other is a periodontist. I decided to go to Mizzou for undergrad because I loved the area and the local sports teams. Ended up majoring in Health Sciences with a minor in Psychology. I spent some time working on family medicine and psychology research during a couple gap years after graduating, then I went out to North Carolina for medical school at Campbell University and absolutely loved my time there. It was during clinical rotations there that I decided to pursue a Med-Peds residency. I knew loved pediatrics, but there was something about the ability to continue to see patients (especially those chronic pediatric health conditions) after they aged out that was really enticing about Med-Peds. There were also some super talented and smart physicians that influenced my decision along the way. Mizzou is an awesome place to go for residency! The attendings you get to work with are some of the nicest you will ever meet. The faculty care so much about you and will do anything necessary for you to succeed. Our coordinator Megan is awesome and is another person that will go above and beyond for you. The new children’s hospital is gorgeous and being the closest children’s hospital for a large portion of the state means you will see a wide variety of pathologies. On the adult side, the university hospital and VA are amazing places to learn too. Furthermore, Columbia has a great cost of living. It’s clean and a safe place to live. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, parks, hiking trails, and anything else that you might want to do. Overall, the Med-Peds program here is like a second family and it will put you in a great position to succeed wherever your career may take you!

Hometown: Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Medical School: CMH Lahore Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
After Residency: Maybe a Cardiology fellowship. Still debating.
Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, foodie at heart
Bio: I grew up in Wah Cantt Pakistan and completed my med school in Lahore. I always enjoyed reading and learning about the human body and that fostered my interest in medicine. The ability to manage patients of all ages is what made med-peds special to me. But I am most interested in pursuing a joint Cardiology fellowship.

During my free time, I can be found exploring different restaurants and cities. I love meeting new people and am excited to see what Columbia brings my way.

I chose Mizzou because it felt right. During my interview, everyone was kind and welcoming. I wanted to be in a program that cared about residents' wellness matters and Mizzou checked all the boxes. Starting this new chapter feels exciting, and I am grateful to be in a place where I can grow as a person and as a physician. 

Hometown: Guadalajara, Mexico
Medical School: University of Missouri-Columbia
Career/Research Interests: I like a little bit of everything! Trying to keep an open mind and see where residency takes me
After Residency: I like being in the hospital, so I will probably end up in an inpatient fellowship
Hobbies/Interests: I like cooking with my fiancée, spending time with our dog Paco and binge-watching TV shows on my days off
Bio: I grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to the U.S. after I graduated high school to come to medical school here. I knew very early on in my life that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. I went to undergrad at UC San Diego where I also got my M.S. degree in molecular biology doing colon cancer research. I then moved to Columbia for medical school where I met my fiancée and we both decided to stay in residency here because we had such a good clinical experience during medical school at Mizzou. Mizzou was a good residency fit for me because of how welcoming the staff are, the diversity of patient populations we see and I felt like I belonged in the Med-Peds program! I chose Med-Peds because I was that one student that enjoyed every single rotation. I like to see a little bit of everything and I knew I wanted to be able to take care of all age-ranges and a wide range of complexity in patient cases with a bigger focus on inpatient care. I also liked how small Med Peds classes are because it is important for me to feel supported and be close with my co-residents.

Hometown: Thompson, Manitoba, Canada
Career/Research Interests: Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hematology-Oncology
After Residency: Combined Hospitalist? Honestly… still figuring it out!
Hobbies/Interests: Hockey (GO LEAFS GO—Stanley Cup champs by 2029, calling it now), weightlifting, traveling, trying new restaurants, and bhangra dancing
Bio: I grew up in a small mining town in northern Canada, where access to specialized care was limited. A serious illness in my family opened my eyes to how geography can shape health outcomes and inspired my path into medicine. While my roots are small-town, I had the privilege of completing my clinical training in the heart of the Big Apple—New York City, which gave me experience caring for an incredibly diverse and complex patient population. I quickly became passionate about both adult and pediatric medicine, and I found myself drawn to the intersection of both. Med-Peds became the perfect fit.

I’m currently undecided on where I’ll go after residency—maybe a fellowship in cardiology, GI, or heme-onc… or maybe a career as a combined hospitalist. What I do know is that I’m excited to keep learning and growing until I find the best way to serve my patients and community.

When it came to choosing a residency, Mizzou truly stood out as a hidden gem. Dr. Butcher and Dr. Emerson are phenomenal program directors who go above and beyond—along with our incredible coordinator Megan—to make sure residents are fully supported and valued. From day one, it felt like I was joining a tight-knit, welcoming community. Everyone is genuinely invested in your growth and well-being, on both the internal medicine and pediatrics sides. It’s the kind of place where people will go the extra kilometre (yes, I’m Canadian, eh?) to help you succeed.

Outside the hospital, you’ll find me at the gym, exploring new places, or watching the Leafs try to break our curse (this is our year—I say that every year). Whether it’s skating on frozen lakes back home or enjoying the energy of NYC, I’ve always found joy in movement, exploration, and connection—and I’m bringing that same energy into this next chapter at Mizzou.

Hometown:& Kogi State, Nigeria
Medical School: All Saints University School of Medicine, Roseau Dominica
After Residency: Fellowship most likely. Still deciding.
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy music, love singing and I am hoping to learn an instrument soon. Most likely the guitar. I also enjoy the outdoors and like to take long walks and play tennis.
Bio: I grew up in Kano, Nigeria. I started my undergraduate studies, completing most of my pre-med courses at Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti, and then attended All Saints University, Dominica. I moved around the Caribbean a little, living in Dominica and St. Vincent. I grew up around medicine with both of my parents in healthcare. They were involved in medical education and rural community outreaches. And from very early on, I became interested in medicine because I could see the difference I believed they made. I loved watching patient-doctor interactions and could not imagine myself doing anything else. I chose med-peds because of the extensive training it offers and because I want to be able to care for adults and children wherever I may go. I liked that it's more of inpatient medicine and that I also get to experience outpatient medicine. I chose Mizzou because I believed it would challenge and expose me to the training I need. I felt so much warmth during my interview, and the residents and faculty were people I wanted to work with and learn from. I liked the family-like and supportive atmosphere of the program and the people that make up the Mizzou med-peds residency.

Hometown: Izmir, Turkey
Medical School: Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
After Residency: Still exploring the opportunities, maybe outpatient or locum tenens for a while, then a nephrology fellowship.
Hobbies/Interests: Kickboxing, pickleball, traveling, dancing, and painting.
Bio: I was raised in Izmir , a Mediterranean town with beautiful beaches and some Ancient Greek ruins, and completed my medical education in Ankara, the capital of Turkey . During my medical education, I discovered my interest in different cultures and foreign lands. I learned German for a couple of years and visited several places in Germany while learning German with a scholarship I got from the German government. I also did an exchange sub-internship in Pecs, Hungary, where it was challenging to communicate with people since most of the people didn't speak English there. After my graduation, my adventurous spirit brought me to the US. I spent a couple of months volunteering and observing in the clinics and laboratories in Phoenix, AZ and Baltimore, MD. Finally, I got accepted to a research position at Mayo Clinic in Rochester where I could pursue my interest in animal experiments by working on creating systemic models of multiple myeloma in mice.

I chose Med-Peds because it was hard for me to choose between kids and adults. Also, Med-Peds has the broadest career opportunities and if you're a versatile person, it would probably be one of the best options for you.

Columbia is a small but a dynamic college town, where life is easy and calm, but there are also opportunities to have fun and enjoy your free time with. Columbia also looked very similar to Rochester, MN, where I spent a year and got used to the small-town life, where I could find more time for myself far from the hustle-bustle of a big city. Since I arrived here, I started learning pickleball, Lyra dancing and attending fitness classes at Mizzou's great gym. We are roommates with my co-intern Asba and we live in a former fraternity house in downtown with college students :) In our free time we like practicing on monkey bars and cooking with Asba's spices from Pakistan.

Degrees: MD, MS in biological sciences, BS in biological sciences
Hometown: Union, MO
Medical School: University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine, Columbia, MO
After Residency: Nephrology, critical care, combined nephrology and critical care, hospitalist medicine
Hobbies/Interests: Crossfit, animals (I have two dogs and one cat), hiking, hanging out with my fiance and friends, watching all of the Gordan Ramsey cooking shows and Law and Order SVU
Bio: I grew up in a small town in Missouri on a retired dairy farm. I had horses and dogs growing up and spent a lot of time outdoors. I went to undergraduate at Mizzou and was a biology major. During undergrad I worked as a waitress and as a bartender and really enjoyed it. After undergrad I did a one-year masters program to finish a project I had started with my research mentor and defended my thesis a couple of months prior to starting medical school. I’m one of the cliches because I have known since the 2nd grade that I was going to be a doctor. As I got older the things about medicine that drew me in further were the concepts of life-long learning, continued self-improvement and the cerebral aspect that comes with the critical thinking required to operate as a physician. I had decided early in medical school that I would be pursuing internal medicine, with a particular interest in critical care and/or hospitalist medicine. The diagnostician aspect of medicine and the complex management of multiple organ systems in addition to the wide variety of pathologies that are seen across disciplines in adult medicine were all things that were enthralling to me about the field. Most people that knew me prior to medical school were surprised when I chose med-peds. I had never had a particular interest in pediatrics until experiencing inpatient pediatric medicine during my third year of medical school. I quickly fell in love not only with the patients, but with being someone that could play an integral role in easing the minds of parents and caregivers. I also love getting to work with the pathologies that you see in pediatric patients that you don’t see in adults. Med-Peds is the perfect fit for me! I choose Mizzou for residency because of the Program directors, faculty, residents, and location.

Hometown: Larkana, Sindh
Medical School: Chandka Medical College, Larkana
Career Research/Interests: Too early to say, I love cardiology, hematology and oncology even Nephrology both of kids and adults, can’t say one for now 😊 confused. I would love to research and contribute something meaningful in the realm of medicine.
After Residency: Fellowship most probably, to continue learning and growing. I can become a child health advocate too, an astronaut or a chess player who knows future :D
Hobbies/Interests: Sports have always been a passion of mine, particularly chess and badminton. I even won an Intermediate badminton competition, (Injured myself a little but Wink wink) I love playing chess with my kiddo’s. I like to travel, and different places given opportunity, or whenever wanderlust calls. Literature provides solace in my life, by the end of the day I would want to retire in a reclining chair near fireplace in the basement of my house with long round stairs and read a book. "The Forty Rules of Love" by Elif Shafak and "When Breath Becomes Air" being among my favorite books. I also have a fondness for mystery and thriller genres, with Dan Brown's novels to sherlock Holmes taking me on exhilarating intellectual journeys. In terms of entertainment, I enjoy shows like "House MD," which captivates me with its medical mysteries, as well as the timeless classics "Friends" and "How I Met Your Mother," providing countless laughs. In terms of food, I have a weakness for quick and delicious meals like two-minute noodles, crispy French fries, and aromatic biryani.
Bio: I was inspired to be a doctor from very early ages as I grew up seeing a skeleton hanging in my aunts’ room as she was a doctor too. Attending the only medical college in the city was a privilege for me that I thoroughly enjoyed, I was always supported throughout my academic journey my by closest friends who encouraged me and my teachers who always accepted my true potential later I came to united states; known for its exceptional training standards. Through my diverse interests and experiences, I continue to explore the wonders of life, seeking knowledge, connection, and enjoyment. Recently, I embarked on a residency journey in my dream specialty of MED/PEDS. The decision to choose Mizzou was primarily influenced by the exceptional people within the program. From the moment I discovered their website to the day of my interview, everything felt right. The individuals I encountered were accomplished, knowledgeable, and incredibly welcoming, creating a sense of cohesiveness that resonated with me. I believe that this supportive environment will foster my personal and professional growth, allowing me to thrive and contribute to the field of medicine while building lasting connections with fellow healthcare professionals. I believe humans are a result of their experiences and for me each experience has shaped my journey in medicine, deepening my understanding, strengthening my commitment, and reaffirming my love for the profession. With enthusiasm, I embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, knowing that I am part of a community that fosters growth, compassion, and excellence.