Hometown: Saint Marys, PA
Undergraduate: Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine- Virginia Campus, Blacksburg, VA
Residency: Via Christi Family Medicine Residency
Fun Facts About You: I love spending time with family and friends, whether it be sitting around a campfire, climbing mountains, sitting by the beach, playing board games or enjoying good conversation together. I also really enjoy dark chocolate and a good cup of tea! I spent 4 years working at an FQHC which challenged me in many ways, but allowed me to grow in so many more, including learning how to love and continue to trust even in the most difficult circumstances. My goal is to see the face of Christ in each person I encounter, and to love as Christ loves His people.
Why the IFMF?
I have wanted to pursue medical missions/ international medicine since undergrad, so this program has been on my radar for some time. This program offers a chance for focused training in tropical medicine, development of procedural skills and dedicated POCUS training that will be useful in any setting-whether abroad or stateside. I trained at Via Christi for residency, so it is an honor to be able to come back to this program as a fellow after being in practice for several years. The people here are so passionate and dedicated in what they do. They inspire me to be a better physician and person.
John Borkert
Hometown: Greeley, Colorado
Undergraduate: Bob Jones University
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
Residency: North Colorado Family Medicine Residency, Greeley, Colorado
Fun Facts About You: I love filling my free time enjoying life with my 3 kids, my dog, and my wife. Together we love to hike, spend time outside, and find time to drink a good cup of coffee. I also enjoy reading and spending time investing in discipleship relationships. My life has been enriched over the past 8 years working as a hospitalist in Northern Colorado, where I learned so much in the areas of medicine, relating to my patients and colleagues, and learning how each person is an image bearer of God. My greatest goal is for those I minister to and with is to see that I have a gentle and lowly Savior who lovingly invites all to come to Him.
Why the IFMF?
I have been interested in global health and medical missions for some time and wanted to pursue this passion. This specific program at Via Christi offers the unique opportunity for focused training in tropical medicine, expanded opportunities to apply procedural skills, and an environment for POCUS training/application. My plan afterward is to use the skills I gain to serve others, whether here or overseas.
Hometown: Karwar, India; Elizabethtown, KY
Undergrad: Anthropology Major, Biology Minor at University of Louisville
Medical School: Touro University California
Residency: Methodist Charlton Family Medicine Residency
Fun Facts about you: I am in awe of whales and would be ecstatic to swim in their presence. I really enjoy going to the theater. I like to rescue pennies from abandonment.
Why the IFMF?
Being an immigrant to this country, I have always felt attune to the connectedness of the world. From my time in medicine, it's clear that health and disease are not bound by borders, and that has been a central interest of mine. I was so excited to find this fellowship for the unique training and the thoughtful mentorship it provides. The curriculum is tailored to help expand my skillset specifically for underserved areas, both in rural U.S. and internationally, where the appreciation for connectedness can be of great value locally and on a global scale. Moreover, the support and encouragement all the faculty provide is invaluable.
I hope to finish this program with skills to practice broad scope family medicine and deliver a high quality of care regardless of resources or setting. I want to grow a wider perspective on medical practices and healthcare systems and am so excited to learn from the international community. Ultimately, I hope to give back by having a positive impact on healthcare worldwide, whether that be through teaching, mentoring, clinical work, or working on global health infrastructure.
After my fellowship, I'll move to take a job near my partner as he completes his residency training. We are looking forward to starting our family. My career goal is to have a broad-spectrum practice that involves inpatient, outpatient, obstetrics, and pediatrics. I hope to continue with my dedication to the international medical community through teaching. I would also enjoy being involved in implementing systematic public health measures or disaster management. Once my partner and I are finished with medical training and financial concerns, we would both like to be involved in international medical work with some form of continuity. Whether it be moving somewhere or returning at regular intervals is yet to be determined.
Julien Atis
Hometown: Lawnside, New Jersey
Undergraduate: Wheaton College, Illinois
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey
Residency: Via Christi Family Medicine Residency
Fun Facts about you: The first time I pumped my own gas I was 20. I have an extra set of molars. I used to have a collection of over 50 ties, but that’s been changing since learning about minimalism and essentialism.
Why the IFMF?
I was instilled with a global perspective having two parents who were born in Haiti. That perspective ignited my desire to engage in the needs of the marginalized. I chose family medicine to be the avenue in which I partner with the Global South. I am pursuing the International Family Medicine Fellowship to expand upon my knowledge base and training opportunities that go beyond what I learned in residency. I appreciate the experiences we spend moonlighting in rural Kansas to also build on our skills in lower resourced settings and growing in confidence in our autonomy. With the five months we train abroad, I hope to learn what life might look like in medical missions with a family with my wife and young children. I look forward to experiencing how to grow in resourcefulness, creativity, and adaptability. I think the Via Christi International Family Medicine Fellowship allows the freedom to get a practical sense of what global medicine can look like in a sustainable way that is not too short to not acclimate or too long of a commitment.
After the fellowship, we plan to pay off loans in order to have more financial freedom before we go abroad. We have hopes to serve in long-term medical missions most likely in Latin America.
Hometown: Yorktown Heights, NY
Undergraduate: University of Maryland (but really my heart is loyal to Azusa Pacific University - where I started college)
Medical School: Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine
Residency: Cone Health Family Medicine
Fun Facts about you: I’m a twin (sister)! I’m snobby about coffee and beer. I love swing dancing. One of the best gifts I have ever received is a reference book for Greek and Latin roots of medical words. My favorite cults are church and CrossFit (feel free to join me!).
Why the IFMF?
Medical missions work has been a pull in my heart for a long time. My interest in medicine at all was first piqued on a medical missions trip with my church youth group. Since that trip, in 9th grade, I have been pursuing a career in medicine with the goal of using that to be involved in international work.
As my residency experience came to a close, I knew that I wanted to get additional training to be better prepared to work as a full spectrum doctor in low resource settings. I applied both to OB fellowships and to the Via Christi International Family Medicine Fellowship. Ultimately, I ended up at Via Christi and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by Christian mentors who have really valuable experience to draw from. Even now, 3 months into my fellowship experience, I feel like I've been acquiring skills that I was not able to work on in residency and getting exposure to practice settings that are new to me. I'm really enjoying the rural locums work that we do, and it's made me interested in pursuing that kind of work in the future.
Following this fellowship, my long-term goal is to practice and teach medicine in the developing world. I think this fellowship is excellent preparation to build important skill sets and get exposure to low resource settings in addition to forming contacts with incredible physicians and people doing really impactful work around the world. I don't think that I will be going abroad immediately, and I may end up doing some full spectrum work here in the States before spending time abroad.
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin
Medical School: University of Texas San Antonio
Residency: Via Christi Family Medicine Residency
Fun Facts about you: I’ve white water rafted on the Nile River. I’ve flown a plane (not well). There’s a pretty good chance I’ll starve living in a country without Costco. One of my favorite activities is cycling with Disney or action movies.
Why the IFMF?
I have always wanted to serve communities in low and middle income countries. I completed my training at VCFM Residency due to the scope of training and caliber of teachers here. Truly, every provider in the area is so impressive and has an amazing heart for service. It seemed like a no-brainer to sign on for an extra year of globally-focused training and mentorship. While overseas, I hope to gain a better understanding of what tools, support, and training I will need to have longevity in a resource-limited setting. I’m holding my post-fellowship plans loosely. However, it will probably entail a (hopefully, short) stint Stateside to pay off debt, establish partners, and gain region-specific training.
Fun Facts: I love traveling and am privileged/blessed to have been to 7 countries in Latin America - my music playlist consists mainly of Latin Pop/Reggaeton! Some people know me as a coffee and chocolate snob, and it's probably true. I also enjoy bike riding, camping/backpacking in the mountains, playing tennis, playing the piano, and cooking and baking every chance I get!
Why the IFMF? I discovered Via Christi's IFMF during residency, and seeing as I had my eyes set on working internationally, I chose to pursue further training and preparation through the fellowship. I felt called by God to work in underserved areas around the world during undergrad after an eye-opening experience with a young boy in Honduras. Since then, I spent a lot of time working with the underserved on the U.S.-Mexico border while in college and medical school and traveled to Guatemala and Bolivia to learn more about the people of this world and myself. After 3 demanding, but defining, years of residency in the wondrous state of Colorado, I chose the fellowship for 3 main reasons: to gain more experience in areas of medicine with which I felt less comfortable, to reconnect with my passion for international/global health, and to further discern God's vocation for me. Furthermore, I felt that this fellowship was unique in that it would best prepare me to work as a clinician in an underserved, international setting. I am looking forward to learning and growing over the upcoming year, and I am very grateful to have this opportunity!
