Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Current Residents

Degree: MD

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Medical School: University of Missouri-Kansas City

After Residency: General inpatient/outpatient physiatry

Career Interest/Research: spinal cord injury, stroke, amputee, and MSK Hobbies/Interests: Spending time and hiking with my wife, playing basketball, rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs, and watching movies

Bio: I was fortunate enough to discover PM&R early on in medical school. All the physiatrists I worked with had excellent bedside manner and appeared to genuinely care about patient outcomes. Getting to develop long term relationships with patients and watch their quality of life improve was something I was immediately drawn to.

I chose Mizzou PM&R because of the people affiliated with the program. Being from St. Louis and completing medical school in Kansas City, I met several previous Mizzou trained graduates who all loved their time in Columbia. PM&R is one of the broadest fields in medicine and Mizzou gives you exposure to many different aspects. From inpatient wards to outpatient clinics and procedures, I knew I would be exposed to all subsets of the field. Columbia itself offers plenty of activities including a wide variety of restaurants, breweries, concert venues, and sporting events. My wife and I have enjoyed our time in Columbia and are lucky to be surrounded by so many caring individuals.

Degree: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Hometown: Dickinson, ND<

Medical School: Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine

After Residency: Fellowship

Career Interest: SCI, Sports/MSK, Interventional Spine

Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy spending time with my wife and family, doing almost anything outdoors, playing sports (pickleball, volleyball, basketball, football, disc golf, etc..), and spending quality time with friends (board games and sporting events). GoPackGo!!!!!!!

Bio: My interest in PM&R began before medical school. I have always been fascinated with the brain and musculoskeletal system, and PM&R combines both. The aspect of PM&R I love is that it allows me to meet people at some of the most discouraging/challenging times in their lives and offer encouragement as we work on improving function. What attracted me to Mizzou was how friendly and encouraging the faculty and staff are and how well-established Mizzou is in the PM&R community.

Degree: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Cameron Park, CA

Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine – Glendale, AZ

Internship: St. Joseph’s Medical Center – Stockton, CA

After Residency: Fellowship

Career Interests: Sports, Interventional Spine, Ultrasound, SCI, Cancer rehab

Hobbies/Interests: Snowboarding, weightlifting, trail running, golfing, rock climbing, fly fishing, soccer.

Bio: I was introduced to PM&R when I was young as mom worked as a physical therapist in an inpatient rehab unit growing up. I then gained more interest in the field as a college athlete undergoing multiple knee surgeries and procedures. Our teams sports medicine physician was PM&R trained, and I was fortunate to work with him as a patient and volunteering/shadowing in his clinic during my undergrad at Virginia Tech. The diversity of the field and opportunity to build meaningful relationships with patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings solidified my decision to become a physiatrist while in medical school.

I chose Mizzou based on their reputation in the PM&R community, and how highly current and past residents spoke of the program and its leadership. I felt Mizzou would provide me the education and opportunities to be successful whether I decide to begin practicing as an attending or furthering my education in fellowship post residency.

Degree: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Medical School: Marian University (MU-COM)

Internship: Ascension St. Vincent’s – Indianapolis: Transitional Year Program

After Residency: Leaning towards a musculoskeletal based fellowship such as Interventional Spine or Sports Medicine. I have also really enjoyed my time working with the physical, occupational, and speech therapists so I won’t count an inpatient career out either!

Career Interests/Research: Interventional pain procedures (fluoroscopy and ultrasound based), sports medicine, anatomy, medical student mentorship/teaching, stroke rehabilitation. I am currently part of the AOCPMR Resident Council as the Fellowship Spotlight Chair

Hobbies/Interests: I’m a huge water guy. Whether it be the beach, lake, or even a pool, I try and spend as much time as I can close to water. I’m also a big traveler. Even with a busy resident schedule I always make time to take a few trips a year. Most recently I went to Costa Rica! (see below). You can also find me taking trips to see my favorite Washington DC sports teams – Washington Nationals and Washington Commanders. I’m also an avid cook, specifically of Mediterranean, Asian, and Middle Eastern Cuisine.

Why PM&R: Like many individuals I found PM&R late. I absolutely loved my third-year rotation with a PM&R trained sports medicine physician which made me dive deeper into researching PM&R as a field. The combination of anatomy-based medicine, team-based medicine (with the PT/OT/ST teams), internal medicine, minimally invasive procedures, and the PM&R physician community itself made it an easy choice. You’ll never meet an unpleasant physiatrist!

Why Mizzou: The heavy outpatient and procedure-based curriculum was the initial draw for me when I was looking at programs. As someone who is leaning towards staying in academic medicine, finding a program at a large university health system was a plus as well. The Missouri Orthopedic Institute on the medical campus is a musculoskeletal haven! In the end what really sealed my interest in the program were my interviews/interactions with Dr. Finkel, Dr. Farid, and Dr. Burris.

Degree: MD

Hometown: Concord, CA

Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Transitional Year: University of South Dakota 

Career Interest: EMG/NCS, Botox injections, Ultrasound,  MSK injections, spasticity, pain management

Hobbies/Interest: Gardening, woodworking, hiking, reading, spending time with family

Bio: My first exposure to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was through volunteering at a Physical Therapy department at a VA hospital. Since that time, my interest in the field has only grown. I chose this specialty due to my interest in musculoskeletal/neurological health, functional restoration, and holistic patient care. Growing up in a blue-collar community and working manual labor jobs through college helped me develop a deep appreciation for the physical demands of labor and the toll that demanding jobs can take on individuals and families. These experiences continue to fuel my commitment to helping not only treat patient's injuries, but also assist patients in regaining their independence and improving their quality of life. Through PM&R I find the perfect intersection between my passion for medicine, ability to problem-solve, and my interest in developing strategies to assist each individual patient reach their own unique goals.

Bio: I discovered PM&R during my rotations in medical school and was completely committed once I found that maximizing patient function was its main focus.  I also love the multidisciplinary team aspect of PM&R, which reminds me of all the sports teams I grew up on. This is also what I love about Mizzou. With constant support and contributions from every member, patients included, there’s a real group effort pushing for both patient progression and my progression as a physiatrist-in-training. This includes exposing me to almost everything the field of PM&R offers, including prosthetics and orthotics, injections, adaptive sports, sideline coverage, and more.  I also look great in Black and Gold. M-I-Z!

Hobbies: Sports! Basketball is the best but playing/watching any sport is always a good time. Movies. Painting. Halloween. Spending time with loved ones. Being outside!

Degree: MD

Hometown: Lawrence, KS  (Rock Chalk!)

Medical School: University of Kansas 

After residency: Fellowship

Career Interest/ Research: Interventional spine, pain management, MSK ultrasound, EMG, spasticity

Hobbies/ Interest: swimming, weightlifting, spending time outdoors, hiking, reading, and spending time with my husband and our three cats 

Bio: I have always very involved with athletics, which sparked my interest in anatomy and MSK pathology in college. In medical school, I was particularly drawn to the holistic approach of PM&R, which emphasizes not just treating the condition but also empowering patients through rehabilitation and adaptive strategies. Witnessing the resilience of patients as they work towards their goals inspires me, and I want to be a part of that transformative journey. Ultimately, I believe that PM&R is the perfect blend of medicine, compassion, and innovative problem-solving.

Degree: MD

Hometown: Springdale, Arkansas

Medical School: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

After Residency: General outpatient vs. interventional pain/spine fellowship

Career Interests: MSK medicine, interventional pain, ultrasound, interventional spine

Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife, weightlifting, sports, fishing, hiking, hunting

Bio: I chose to become a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor because my own journey through sports-related injuries opened my eyes to the critical role of recovery in an athlete's life. After enduring a few bumps and bruises on the field, I experienced firsthand how transformative effective rehabilitation can be—not just physically, but mentally. I wanted to help others navigate their own recovery journeys, empowering them to regain strength and confidence. The opportunity to blend my passion for sports with a commitment to helping people reclaim their active lifestyles felt like the perfect fit, allowing me to give back to a community that has shaped who I am today.

Degree: MD

Hometown: Lexington, KY

Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Internship: Internal Medicine at the University of Missouri

Career Interests: Sports Medicine, Performing Arts Medicine, Ultrasound, MSK injections

Hobbies/Interests: Ballet and modern dance, spending time with my partner Derek, anything I can do to entertain our cats including outdoor walks on leashes, reading fantasy novels

Bio: I found out about Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) by pure chance in my first year of medical school, but immediately knew it was for me. I have a strong love for musculoskeletal medicine as a dancer, and I also find neuropathology fascinating. I have a lot of experience with adaptive dance from my work with the Allegro Dance Project, so I fell in love with the field with its strong focus on quality of life and functional improvement. The opportunity to offer hope and options to patients who have complex medical journeys, pain, and functional limitations is extremely rewarding to me. I am grateful to be in residency at Mizzou where I have exposure to a broad array of practice types and cases within PM&R. 

Degree: MD

Hometown: Overland Park, KS

Medical School: University of Kansas

Career Interest/ Research: Sports medicine, musculoskeletal, general PM&R, EMG, Neuro rehab, interventional spine

Hobbies/ Interest: lifting weights, running, listening to music, spending time outdoors, hanging out with my wife, family, and friends

Bio: My interest in musculoskeletal medicine began during my undergraduate years in Lawrence, KS, where I worked in an orthopedic/sports medicine clinic (shoutout to Dr. Goodyear, Grant, and Dr. Salazar). As I progressed through medical school, my appreciation for MSK and neurology led me to discover PM&R at the beginning of my third year. I was immediately drawn to the collaborative nature of the specialty and its focus on regaining function, whether through neurorehabilitation after a stroke or relieving joint pain with an injection. I'm unsure exactly which route I'll pursue in PM&R, but I'm excited by the wide range of possibilities it offers. Mizzou has a fantastic program and a department of physicians who truly care about my learning and growth as a person. Although I grew up a Jayhawk, I couldn't be more grateful to be in Columbia for my residency.

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Medical School: Des Moines University

Internship: University of Missouri IM prelim

After residency: I'm interested in pursuing a sports medicine fellowship and ultimately working in an academic setting. I also enjoy the interdisciplinary component of inpatient rehab.

Career interest/research: MSK, ultrasound, EMG, biomechanics, adaptive sports, and teaching

Hobbies/interests: dancing, trying new recipes, spending time outdoors, building LEGOs, watching football and hockey, and traveling

Why Mizzou PM&R: I first learned about PM&R in high school while working with the Disabled Athletes Sports Association and was inspired by the difference physiatrists make. In college, I studied biomedical engineering with a focus in biomechanics, which makes PM&R feel like a perfect fit. I love being able to use that background to empower patients and help them reach their goals through innovative strategies. I'm also excited by the continually growing nature of the field!

I chose Mizzou for its supportive faculty, exceptional learning opportunities, and welcoming community. I value being a part of a program that encourages growth, collaboration, and exploration across all areas of PM&R.