Rural Residents

Where are you from?

I was born and mostly raised in Indiana.

Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?

The short of it is that God made a way for me to get to Cahaba. Since I was about 17 years old which is about 23 years ago, I believed God was calling me to medical missions which is where I am still called. It has been a delightful 23 years of waiting and submitting. During this time, God has brought me through many joys. I would have never had the wonderful opportunity to meet my beautiful wife of 10 years in July 2023. Furthermore, I would have never had the opportunity to count it pure joy during various trials and have my patience built up during the testing of my faith. During medical school, God brought my family and I through about 4 moves, 2 live births, 1 miscarriage, a personal hospitalization, wife with severe COVID but not hospitalized (thank God), and the death of both my in-loves (in-laws), and beyond. Long story short, I have been attacked by our enemy and it was important to me that get the spiritual side of medicine in my training which is what drew me to Cahaba.

Undergrad:

B.S. Biology from Grace College

Med school:

Trinity School of Medicine

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

Spending time with my wife and three young children (Hope 8, Charity 5, and Nehemiah 2)

What is your favorite food to cook?

Easiest favorite food is probably pasta but one I do not cook a lot but wish I did more of is Pad Thai. Honestly, my wife is more of the cook than I. I have learned a lot over the years but my wife teases me about making hockey pucks. When we were newly married, she gave me the task of making corn bread from a mix while she went to a meeting. Well, let's just say that my timer did not work or it did not get set properly and the result was being able to drop the absolutely charred and rock solid corn muffins on the ground without them breaking much like a hockey puck.

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

As a citizen of heaven but a resident of this World, I would like to always live where I am currently with the hope of Heaven on my mind and dream locations prior to going to my place of citizenship are Israel, Cuba, Thailand, Africa, and England.

What drives you?

"What is man that thou art mindful of him. You have made him a little lower than the Angels." - Paraphrase of part of Psalm 8. "For those who are in Christ Jesus, we have the same power as Christ, sitting with Him in the Heavenly places." - Ephesians 1:19-23 paraphrase. We forget just how magnificent God is that he would choose us to play a role in His creation even to the point that for those he has chosen to be His people have a role in witnessing. This God of the universe in all of his holiness and splendor chose little old me to be part of His plan for this World even to the point that I am adopted as a son and though sinful and undeserving have received the same rights to Him as his son Jesus Christ because His righteousness has been imparted to me. I stand amazed because, I like Paul the Apostle can only partially understand the magnitude of this wonderful mystery.

What is your post residency plan?

I have no plans for after Residency except to follow where God would lead. I have several ideas of what I would want, but I am not confident that any of them or all of them are part of what God would have me to do afterwards. I will be calling to Him over the next 3-4 years seeking Him and trusting that He will answer me and show me great and mighty things which I do not currently know.

Where are you from?

Columbus, Mississippi

Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?

The location, mission, and people of Cahaba FMR really stood out while I was searching for a residency program. The location of Cahaba FMR in a rural area provides care to people who may not otherwise be able to find medical care. The small community fosters close relationships with patients, staff, and the community, while providing training in a similar environment to which I envision my career in the future. What interested me even more than the location, was the mission and people of Cahaba FMR. The people of Cahaba FMR are genuine. They truly care about you as a person and want to help you develop into the physician you will be for your career. Cahaba FMR provides training for full-scope family medicine, so residents who graduate from the program are able to provide medical care to people in the most rural areas with the resources available to them. Most of all, you are able to become part of a team of people serving others in the love of Christ, through medical care or other means.

Undergrad:

Millsaps College

Med school:

University of Mississippi Medical Center

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling, gardening, going to ball games, cooking out, or watching races on occasion. I also like spending time taking care of my animals, including my dog, cat, and chickens.

What is your favorite food to cook?

I love to cook a variety of desserts, but only when I can share!

What is a destination you’d like to visit or live?

I would love to visit more of the national parks across America.

What drives you?

My God, my family, and the people I serve. They help guide me in big life decisions and the little things everyday and motivate me to continue and improve in my work.

What is your post residency plan?

I plan to practice full-spectrum Family Medicine in a rural area of Alabama or Mississippi.

Where are you from?

Rocky Top, TN

Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?

When looking for a residency program, I knew that I wanted to be trained in a rural medicine. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee. I love the pace of life and familiarity that small towns create. Knowing small, rural living, I am aware of the obstacles present when it comes to getting medical care. I have witnessed, heard stories about, and personally experienced hardships regarding accessing medical care in rural-small towns. While Cahaba FMR fulfilled my desire to be trained in rural medicine and help prepare me to practice post-residency in a small town, I also fell in love with the community Cahaba has. As a medical student, I had the opportunity to rotate with Cahaba FMR. The support and community I felt from the residents alone made me feel as if I was part of the team long before I truly became a team member. Cahaba’s global health program was also a huge factor that drew me to the program. I have experience with global missions pre-medicine, and plan to continue to nurture the calling I have to serve underserved populations both in my back yard and overseas, wherever that may be.

Undergrad:

Lincoln Memorial University

Med school:

Edward via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolina campus

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

Outside of medicine I try to spend as much time with my people as I can. This sometimes is as simple as at home pizza and movie nights with my partner, Jonathon. While other times it involves traveling to new places for hiking trails, difference races with my friends, or going to visit family. I enjoy a good book and just about any activity that involves being outdoors.

What is your favorite food to cook?

Any kind of pasta, preferably the kinds stuffed with cheese!

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

I would love to visit Hawaii, Thailand, and New Zealand.

What drives you?

My spiritual relationship with God, my personal relationships with my family and friends, and new relationships I form along the way all drive me to celebrate the good times and support me during the hard times.

What is your post residency plan?

My post-residency plan involves working as a primary care physician in a rural setting both domestically and internationally.

Where are you from?

Wichita, Kansas

Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?

I originally found out about Cahaba, because some of the physicians in Wichita were trying to live out a similar mission inspired by Cahaba. Here were doctors so passionate about living out their Christian faith that they were living in the underserved communities that they hoped to help. These men and women were sacrificing prestige, wealth, and even safety for the sake of impacting and integrating with their community. I loved that mentality and aspire to be a physician like that. I wanted to be surrounded by like-minded individuals in both my teachers and my fellow learners. So now I am here and could not be more content with the community of which I get to be a part.

Undergrad:

Kansas State University

Med school:

University of Kansas School of Medicine

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I have been married to my wife, Jada, for 6 years. We have two dogs, Twinkie and Pumpkin. My life outside medicine is spent mostly in their company. My wife and I love to entertain guests and regularly have people over to our house to play board or table-top games. We love seeing new places and trying new foods. I still find time to read, play video games, or play pickleball just to name a few things.

What is your favorite food to cook?

Lemon blueberry scones

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

We would love to visit New Zealand at some point

What drives you?

The desire to utilize the gifts, talents, and experiences that I have in the service of helping the less fortunate.

What is your post residency plan?

I do not have a solidified post-residency plan currently. I am considering doing a sports medicine or addiction medicine fellowship. I enjoy teaching, so I may end up in academics as well. The one unifying direction is that I hope to find an underserved community to serve and into which I can integrate once I finish training.

Where are you from?

Originally from Hampton, GA but have been living in beautiful East TN for the last 6 years.

Why did you come to Cahaba FMR?

I was drawn to Cahaba FMR because of the mission of serving rural underserved communities. After doing my 3rd and 4th year medical school rotations in a rural hospital I knew I wanted to practice rural medicine and felt that Cahaba was a great fit for my personal goals. I have a special interest in women's health and global medicine, both of which are strongly supported by this program. During interview day, I had lovely conversations with the residents and faculty. I felt like they truly wanted to get to know me and support my goals.

Undergrad:

Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL

Med school:

Lincoln Memorial University Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Knoxville, TN

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

On my days off I am usually spending time with my husband and my dog, Rico. We love to be outside enjoying nature or trying out new restaurants in the city.

What is your favorite food to cook?

Anything with pasta

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

Would love to travel to Switzerland!

What drives you?

My family and I come from very humble beginnings. As an immigrant family and single parent household, there were many barriers to living a healthy and comfortable life. My goal has always been to become the type of physician now that my family needed back then.

What is your post residency plan?

After completing an OB fellowship, I plan to return to rural east Tennessee to practice long-term.

Where are you from?

Cape May, New Jersey

Why did you come to Cahaba UAB FMR?

I knew I wanted to do a family medicine residency that had a specific rural training track, but what I didn't know was where exactly I wanted to do it. To be honest, Alabama was a bit out of my comfort zone. However, God kept pulling my attention to Cahaba, and I ended up making the trip to do a fourth year elective here. During that time, what I saw was everything I imagined rural medicine would be and more. The residents and staff were friends, the town was country-quiet and close-knit, the attendings were all a joy to learn from, the curriculum made every day interesting, and the patients were the most appreciative people I have ever worked with. What really convinced me though was the way Cahaba unwaveringly lived out their mission to be an incarnation of Christ through medicine.

I felt that this was more than a residency - this was a mission field. On the interview trail I met many programs that I knew could give me the skills to be the full-scope rural primary care doctor that I wanted, but no one compared to Cahaba because not a single other program existed with the intention and spirit that they do. For me there was no comparison. This program is everything I knew I wanted and so much more than I knew to ask for.

Undergrad:

North Carolina State University

Med School:

Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I love adventure, and I love to be outside. If I'm not road-tripping somewhere to visit friends, my happy place is horseback riding in the woods. I also enjoy hiking, camping, and kayaking.

What is your favorite food to cook?

Absolutely anything with pasta.

What is a destination you'd like to visit?

As I said, I love to travel so my list is long. I think my next domestic trip will be Utah to visit some of the national parks there, and my current wishlist international trip is the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

What drives you?

I really feel like God is the one who called me into medicine, and truly only by His power did I make it through medical school. I believe it's a gift to be able to work in this field and that we're called to use our gifts to bless others. Trying my best to live this out everyday is my biggest motivator.

What are your post residency plans?

My interests right now are so broad! I definitely want to practice rural, and I have a strong interest in mission work, but I'm really just waiting to see where God pulls (or keeps) my attention to next.

Where are you from?

Fortson, GA

Why did you come to Cahaba UAB FMR?

I came to Cahaba because of the unique culture of the residency program. The whole program and those not in the program are extremely supportive of one another, and I saw that from day 1 as a medical student. Apart from the positive learning environment and support, I noticed all the hands-on experience I could gain from being in the program. Overall, Cahaba is more like a family that learns along the way!

Undergrad:

Columbus State University

Medical School:

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn Campus

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

Spontaneous adventures, like hiking and Lowe's window shopping, with my husband and dog!

What is your favorite food to cook?

Pizza. So easy and quick!

What is the destination you'd like to visit or live?

I'd like to sail the world, so I'd like to visit all the destinations.

What drives you?

I'm driven by my faith, and knowing that I can make a difference in someone's life with actions as small as a smile.

What is your post residency plan?

After residency, I hope to continue doing international mission trips and working with underserved populations.

Where are you from?

Ripley, TN

Why did you come to Cahaba UAB FMR?

When I started looking for a residency program, I knew that I wanted to be in a rural area because that is where I want to practice. I wanted an environment that felt like family and was nurturing both to my learning and overall well being. I completely fell in love with the atmosphere and people at Cahaba when I came to interview. I found peace that I was meant to be here after having prayer with one of my attendings after my interview. I knew I wanted to come here to help love on this rural community and work to make their lives better. I am thrilled to be here for each member of the community in any way that I am capable of helping.

Undergrad:

University of Memphis - Lambuth Campus

Med school:

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus

What does your life outside of medicine look like?

I love to spend time cooking/baking, reading, and being out in nature.

What is your favorite food to cook?

I love baking in general. I am always working on new ideas.

What is a destination you'd like to visit or live?

I would love to travel around Europe on a food tasting tour.

What drives you?

I thrive off helping others. I get joy from giving more than receiving from others. I was placed on this Earth for a purpose, and I strongly believe that part of that is being here to help my fellow humans in need.

What is your post residency plan?

I want to practice in a rural community like the one I grew up in.