PGY-1 Residents
Caleb Hood, MD
Bio
Medical School: University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Auburn University
Academic Interests: Minimally Invasive/Bariatric Surgery, General Surgery
Activities: Golf, Hunting, Skiing, Traveling with my wife and Australian Shepherd
Why I chose Mizzou: I was drawn to Mizzou by the camaraderie among residents on my interview day and the opportunity to train at a level 1 trauma center without the need to reside in a large metropolitan area. The General Surgery Program at Mizzou prepares residents to excel in competitive fellowship applications and as skilled surgeons poised to launch their careers. All within a city known for its excellent food scene and convenient access to outdoor adventures.
Kelley Ray, MD
Bio
Medical School: Creighton University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Southern California
Academic Interests: Surgical Education, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Trauma/Critical Care
Activities: Anything outside, especially on the water, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, board games, kindly critiquing movies that were made based on books.
Why I chose Mizzou: It is clear just by speaking with the Mizzou residents and faculty that everyone truly wants the best for each other and for their patients. Residents are ready for both fellowship and general practice. We receive the depth of education to explore their academic interests and choose our future careers wisely.
Zachary Tsai, MD
Bio
Medical School: California Northstate University
Undergraduate: University of Michigan
Academic Interests: Pediatric Surgery, Transplant, MIS, Surgical Palliative Care
Activities: Riding bikes, being outside, tennis, being a homer of Detroit and University of Michigan sports.
Why I chose Mizzou: Mizzou offers a tight knit program that emphasizes technical and decision-making competencies all with the backing of a large research institution. This combination prepares you to be a strong fellowship candidate or immediately enter practice after graduation. Although I went to medical school out west, I grew up in the Midwest and have always considered it home.
John Underwood, MD
Bio
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame
Academic Interests: Colorectal surgery, General Surgery, ACS
Activities: Live music, College football, Golf, Baseball, Hiking, Biking, Cold brew
Why I chose Mizzou: The priorities of the Mizzou Department of Surgery are simple: Deliver the best patient care possible and take care of one another. Mizzou is a rare find with respect to the cohesiveness of the residents, faculty, and staff. Taken in conjunction with the resources afforded by association with a flagship state academic institution, it's clear that Mizzou is a special place to train.
PGY-2 Residents
Desra Fletcher, MD
Bio
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Arkansas Tech University
Academic Interests: Trauma, General Surgery
Activities: Black coffee. SEC college football (woo pig sooie). A good IPA and Hemingway.
Why I chose Mizzou: The surgical residency at Mizzou teaches us how to be skilled in the operating room and manage complex medical issues in an academic, multidisciplinary setting. We get a wide exposure to complex surgical pathologies early in our training due to high patient volume. I knew I belonged here when I found myself wanting to emulate our graduating chief’s skill level in the operating room.
Nicole Hatala, MD
Bio
Medical School: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Undergraduate: Miami University, Oxford, OH
Academic Interests: General Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Trauma
Activities: Cooking, baking, running, riding my peloton, hiking, spending time with friends
Why I chose Mizzou: I chose Mizzou after doing an away rotation here during my fourth year of medical school! I was looking for a level 1 trauma center with high operative volume but with a smaller, more personal feel. After seeing how passionate the attendings were about teaching residents and how competent the residents were in taking care of patients and in the operating room, I was set on coming to Mizzou. I also grew up in St. Louis and have always been a Mizzou sports fan, so that was a bonus!!!
Nathan May, DO
Bio
Medical School: A.T. Still University-KCOM
Undergraduate: University of Missouri
Academic Interests: Minimally Invasive Surgery, Vascular Surgery
Activities:Going to sporting events, boating, grilling, spending time outdoors, traveling
Why I chose Mizzou:I chose Mizzou because the program had a group of residents and faculty
who support each other and function as a team. Being in an academic program with a Level 1
trauma center, I knew I would have strong exposure to surgical subspecialties, trauma
management, and research opportunities. I went to Mizzou for my undergraduate degree and
couldn't wait to get back to Columbia.
Isaac Raines, MD
Bio
Medical School: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Undergraduate: University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Academic Interests: Thoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Trauma
Activities: Fishing, college football, exercising, lake trips with my fiancé and our dog Fitz
Why I chose Mizzou: I was drawn to Mizzou because of the clearly present comradery throughout the program and the abundance of clinical and academic opportunities. The General Surgery Program at Mizzou prepares residents to be both highly competitive fellowship applicants and fully competent surgeons able to begin practicing. Additionally, Columbia is a great city that offers a variety of social venues and outdoor opportunities, so there is always something fun to do.
PGY-3 Residents
Hunter Chalfant, MD
Bio
Medical School: University of Oklahoma
Undergraduate: University of Central Oklahoma
Academic Interests: Rural General Surgery, Critical Care, Robotic Surgery
Activities: Live music, online gaming, movies, art, live sports, socializing
Why I chose Mizzou: I wanted to find a place where I felt like part of a team. I wanted Level 1 trauma experience without living in a metropolitan area. I wanted a place where I could receive a broad base of surgical experience and could care for patients in the hospital. I wanted to feel valued. I found all of these things at Mizzou. I am very happy with my choice to come to Columbia.
Alyssa Hammar, DO
Bio
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Academic Interests: General Surgery, MIS, Global Surgery
Activities: Travel, college sports, live music, and Spikeball
Why I chose Mizzou: The high operative volume at an academic institution with great research opportunities, a level 1 trauma center and exposure to several surgical subspecialties was what initially interested me in Mizzou. The supportive and encouraging environment between the residents at a phenomenal institution is why I ultimately chose Mizzou. Additionally, the ability to see the football stadium from the hospital was a pretty neat bonus.
Brycen Ratcliffe, MD
Bio
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Indiana State University
Graduate: University of Southern Indiana
Academic Interests: Rural Surgery, Trauma, and Prehospital Care
Activities: Biking, teaching, and exploring new food spots!
Why I chose Mizzou: I was drawn to the trauma exposure and the volume of patients that the residents see. When I met some of the residents, I was impressed with how confident they were when managing patients in and outside of the OR, especially with stressful trauma situations.
Ethan Williamson, MD
Bio
Medical School: University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Drury University
Academic Interests: Trauma and Critical Care
Activities: Attending music festivals, fantasy football, backpacking, biking
Why I chose Mizzou: I chose Mizzou because I could train at a high volume academic center while also caring for people from my own community of south central Missouri. When I was a kid, University Hospital was where you went if you needed emergency care and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be on the other side of that equation as a surgical resident. This program also aligned well with my interests in trauma and critical care as it has a lot of exposure to those areas built in. Along with the training opportunities, I could tell that the resident worked well as a team and I felt that it would be a great environment to work and grow in.
PGY-4 Residents
Adam Awwad, MD
Bio
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine
Graduate: Illinois Institute of Technology
Undergraduate: Northwestern University
Academic Interests: Outcomes research, Medical Education
Activities: Basketball, exercise, music and photography
Why I chose Mizzou: The Mizzou surgery program offers the opportunity to train as an excellent clinical surgeon. We have exposure to a wide array of surgical specialties, and plentiful academic opportunities exist for residents to pursue research. Living in Columbia is an added bonus, as it's a vibrant college town with a wide variety of restaurants and activities.
Caroline Chung, MD
Bio
Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin
Academic Interests: General and Acute Care Surgery
Activities: Reading, drinking wine, and watching Netflix
Why I chose Mizzou: Mizzou caught my eye because my dad went here for his veterinary internship and interviewing here only confirmed what he loved about Missouri. I love everybody I interact with at and outside of work!
Emily Hartlage, MD
Bio
Medical School: Florida State University
Undergraduate: University of Florida
Graduate: University of South Florida
Academic Interests: General Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery
Activities: Any outdoor activity, CrossFit, and being with friends, family & my dog.
Why I chose Mizzou: Mizzou offered everything I was looking for in a residency program - high case volume, level 1 trauma center, early exposure to a variety of surgical subspecialties, and most importantly happy residents. I was further impressed by their 100% board pass rate and how much the residents truly seemed to enjoy the program and each other.
Eugene Ismailov, DO
Bio
Medical School: Kansas City University
Undergraduate: University of Maryland Baltimore County
Academic Interests: Trauma/Critical Care
Activities: Backpacking/hiking, dogs, combat sports
Why I chose Mizzou: During my interview it was very evident that the staff is invested in the residency and enjoy teaching. The residents got along well and are very supportive of each other. Also, MU produces competent surgeons who can pursue fellowships or private practice and personally, training at a level 1 trauma center where I would experience the full breadth of general surgery was important.
PGY-5 Residents
Sara Byrd, MD
Bio
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Ohio State University
Academic Interests: Surgical outcomes research
Hobbies/Activities Hobbies: I enjoy going to college football games, running, and riding the Peloton.
Why I chose Mizzou: I choose Mizzou because it was a program that offered everything a large academic medical center has to offer and an environment that is extremely supportive. Everyone wants residents to succeed and work to improve our education.
Matthew Csonka, MD
Bio
Medical School: West Virginia University
Undergraduate: University of South Carolina
Academic Interests: Trauma/Critical Care, General Surgery, Global Surgery
Hobbies/Activities: Being active outdoors, college football, tennis, volleyball, hanging out with friends
Why I chose Mizzou: Mizzou has an impressive case load and operative experience at a Level I trauma center. It’s 100% board pass rate for graduating chiefs demonstrates the program’s clear focus on training general surgeons for their future after residency, either directly into practice or in pursuit of fellowship training. There is also a strong bond amongst the residents, and I couldn’t be around a more hardworking, reliable, and supportive group of future surgeons.
Forrest Ericksen, MD
Bio
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin Undergraduate: University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign
Academic Interests: Minimally invasive general surgery, Trauma/Critical Care
Hobbies/Activities: Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, ATVs, Dog training, running
Why I chose Mizzou: I chose Mizzou because the comradery that was apparent amongst the residents and the faculty. I was seeking a program that would allow me to develop into a competent surgeon in a supportive environment. During my interview, I was very impressed with the relationships amongst residents and faculty further proving to me Mizzou was a special program. The strong Department of Surgery at Mizzou will allow me to gain exposure to all aspects and specialties allowing me to make an informed decision when it becomes time for specialty/fellowship choices. An added benefit comes with living in Columbia, MO which provides a lively atmosphere with countless activities for people that enjoy the outdoors.