Class of 2027

Bio: I was born and raised in a small town in Missouri. Aside from my grandmother who is a nurse, I don't have any family members in medicine; I became interested in family medicine through exposure at our town's clinic. I always found the idea of the rural physician with a broad skillset and high versatility easy to romanticize. I kept this same passion throughout college and medical school, and feel very grateful to God and my family for helping me reach this final stage of training.

Why Via Christi? I was told about Via Christi by a faculty member at my medical school when discussing the best places to get training in full-spectrum family medicine. Like many of my colleagues, I feel very strongly that a family physician should strive to develop a wide variety of procedural skills. Given the fellowship-equivalent OB experience and strong inpatient procedural training, I see Via Christi as the best place to develop into a capable family physician.

Passions/Hobbies: Running and spending time with family

Plans after residency: I plan to practice full-spectrum family medicine somewhere in the Midwest

Bio: Hello! I grew up in Winfield, Kansas. Most of my childhood was spent playing outside with my siblings. We loved to compete in everything from rounds of golf to pickup games of basketball to races around the neighborhood. My siblings and I were blessed with two loving parents who supported us every step of the way. 

 

 I stayed in Winfield for undergrad at Southwestern College where I majored in biochemistry and was a member of the women's golf team. During undergrad is also when my aspiration to become a family physician began. I was introduced to rural family medicine by a community hero in my small town. He showed me how to be a small town physician and community leader. I fell in love with this vision and ran with it! Fast forward a few years and my training takes place at the same medical school and residency as my mentor.

Why Via Christi? Via Christi was the trifecta! I was looking for three things in a residency program: good people, quality education, and location close to family. During my sub-I at Via Christi, I felt welcomed and supported. I looked forward to going to the hospital and hanging out with the residents and felt as though I fit in well with the current residents. Most of my family medicine mentors have graduated from Via Christi and spoke highly of their training at Via Christi. I knew that if I ended up at Via Christi, I would be well trained to practice broad spectrum family medicine. Via Christi is also located close to my immediate family. The people, education, and location all led me to choosing to become a resident at Via Christi.

Passions/Hobbies: I enjoy spending time outside! Much of my time outside has been spent on the golf course, but I also enjoy running, walking, hiking, fishing, canoeing, pickle ball, and disc golf. You can count me in for any pick up sports game! I also enjoy jigsaw puzzles, card games, and board games.

Favorite Books & Quotes: 
Favorite Books: Watchers, Think Again, The Happiness Advantage, Putting Out of Your Mind, The Mental Game, and Killing Kennedy.

 

Favorite Quotes: 
"The sea was angry that day, my friends." -George Costanza

 "There’s no such thing as staying the same. At any given moment, you’re either moving forward or moving backward. Keep moving forward!" -Darrin Donnelly

Plans after residency: My plan after residency is to practice broad spectrum family medicine in rural southcentral Kansas.

Bio: I grew up in a small town near Shanghai, China - at least small by Chinese standards (pop. 600,000). I am an only child as a result of the one-child policy. My mom, an internist, worked tireless in an overcrowded and under-resourced hospital. However, I disliked everything about the hospital, and from a very early age, I had decided that I did NOT want to be a doctor.

 

Instead, I pursued a different direction. My family immigrated to the United States when I was in middle school. Fast forward twenty years, and I found myself working as a software engineer, a career that provided financial stability and excellent benefits. Yet, something felt missing. The work I was doing lacked a personal impact, and I yearned for more. 

 

And so began my nontraditional journey to medicine. It wasn't easy; I had to balance life, school, and career. Amidst it all, I met my wife, Jules, and we got married as I was applying for medical school. We moved two thousand miles across country during the COVID pandemic to start medical school at UT Southwestern.

Why Via Christi? Before and during medical school, I had incredible mentors who practiced broad spectrum family medicine. As I explored various residency programs, VCFM stood out as a place that offered exceptional full-scope training. However, I wasn't initially sure about Wichita, Kansas.

 

During my fourth year of medical school, I had the opportunity to attend the AAFP conference. Even during the brief interaction at the VCFM booth, I could feel the strong sense of belonging and camaraderie. Looking back, I am immensely grateful that I could interview in person. My wife tagged along on the interview trip, and we were both pleasantly surprised by how much we liked Wichita. My interview day at VCFM was even more amazing, and I could feel the genuine, inclusive community as I talked with residents and faculty alike. During this period of navigating through residency and beyond, I am confident that I would be well-prepared and supported, regardless of the challenges that lie ahead.

Passions/Hobbies: Coffee, table tennis, frisbee, taking things apart and putting them (mostly) together

Favorite Podcasts, Quotes: 
Podcasts - Marketplace, Stuff You Should Know, Freakonomics, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

 "There’s no such thing as staying the same. At any given moment, you’re either moving forward or moving backward. Keep moving forward!” -Darrin Donnelly

Plans after residency: While circumstances may change, my current plan is to practice full spectrum family medicine in underserved communities, whether here in the States or overseas.

Bio: I grew up in a small town in northeast Kansas. My mom is a teacher and my dad runs a small construction business. My two brothers and I grew up working for my dad, and while both of my brothers decided to go into construction as well, I knew medicine was the path for me. After high school I attended Kansas State University (Go Cats!), where I majored in biology. I was accepted into the Scholars in Rural Health program and went to KU School of Medicine on the Salina Campus. During medical school I got married to my high school sweetheart, Maleah, who was attending nursing school in Salina at the same time. We welcomed a baby boy, Theo, during my 4th year of medical school.

Why Via Christi? When I began to look for a residency, I kept hearing about Via Christi. I was lucky enough to do a sub-internship at Via and quickly realized why everyone had such great things to say about it. The training was exactly what I was looking for, and the residents and faculty were amazing. I knew that Via Christi would be provide me with the full-spectrum family medicine training I was looking for. Along the interview trail, I found myself always comparing other programs to Via. It was important to me that I found a program where family was important, as I wanted my wife and baby to be supported as well. Via Christi again checked this box, and my wife and I knew this is where we wanted to be.

Passions/Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and baby. Being outdoors, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Watching sports, specifically K-State and the Chiefs. Traveling, golfing, and history.

Favorite Books: The Harry Potter Series.

Plans after residency: Return to rural Kansas and practice full-spectrum family medicine.

Bio:

I grew up in rural western Kansas and graduated high school from Goodland, a small town of about 5000 people. My four siblings and I spent our childhood enjoying family roadtrips, helping with wheat harvest, and playing sports. 

 

 Practically everyone in my family has been a teacher, a farmer, or a nurse. I decided to follow a different path by pursuing medicine - a career I saw as fulfilling, challenging, and impactful. My hometown family physician, and numerous other rural doctors who have mentored me along the way, proved to me just how true that could be! I knew from the beginning that rural family medicine was my life's calling. 

 

Of course, being a doctor is second to my other vocation - my family. I married my husband Connor during the first semester of medical school. We met during our undergrad years at KU (rock chalk!). We had our daughter, Cecilia, at the end of my second year of school. Between her and our lively Basset hound, Jimmy, we are kept busy! We love living in a historic neighborhood of Wichita, taking walks in the park, and spending time with family and friends.

Why Via Christi? It was always Via Christi for me. I remember reading the resident bios as a medical student and was drawn to these people who were so passionate about serving others through family medicine but also had interests and passions outside of medicine. Their character and drive was evident. My experience on my sub-internship confirmed everything I had hoped to find at Via Christi - caring and committed residents, a feeling of family, a culture of excellence, amazing faculty, strong training (especially in obstetrics and hospital medicine).

Passions/Hobbies: Antique shopping, coffee shops, walks in the park, painting or sketching, learning more about art and art history, traveling the world

Favorite Books, Quotes: 

Favorite quotes: 

 "It is good to love many things, for therein lies strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done with love is well done." - Vincent Van Gogh

  "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy." - St. Francis of Assisi

 Favorite books:

 Father Elijah by Michael D. O'Brien

 When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanith 

 Being Mortal by Atul Gawande"

Plans after residency: I hope to be practicing full-scope rural medicine with obstetrics in a small Kansas town! It would be my dream to incorporate international medicine in some capacity and also serve Spanish-speaking patients.

Bio:

I was born in Georgia (moved when I was 2) but grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and then moved (30 minutes away) to Iowa City for undergrad and medical school. I spent a lot of time outdoors growing up and loved animals. I was on the trap shooting and golf teams in high school. I spend my time outdoors as much as possible, fishing, hunting, hiking, golfing, camping, and road tripping to national parks. You can also find me inside with my board game collection or doing whatever escapade my fiancé has planned that week. My fiancé, Madasyn, and I met during summer research and have been inseparable ever since. She is a professional golfer and an engineer. More noticeably, she is an outgoing activity lover. She brings the fun, whereas I bring the fun facts.

 

I have strived to become a physician since high school, and I fell in love with the wide scope of family medicine. I plan on practicing in the rural Midwest after residency. If I could not be a physician, I would be a wildlife biologist. I have no pets yet, but I have a few dying cactuses!

Why Via Christi? My must-haves in a program were great full-scope training and the ability to learn colonoscopies and other advanced procedures. Few programs met these criteria, and Via Christi was recommended by both alumni of the program and other physicians who heard great things. The people at Via Christi stood out like no other as well. The sense of comradery and support by others in the program was really great to see and made my choice of program pretty easy.

Passions/Hobbies: Hiking, hunting, fishing, golfing, and board games

Favorite Books, Quotes: 

Books: A Tale of Two Cities, The Song of the Dodo

Quote: "All you have to do in life is be passionate and enthusiastic and you will have a wonderful life" - Steve Irwin.

Plans after residency: Rural, full-scope Family Medicine somewhere in the Midwest.

Bio: Hello! I was born and raised in a small town in the midwest. Growing up, I knew everyone and everyone's families. By the time High School came around, I was ready to break out of my bubble and move somewhere new to meet people from different paths of life. This lead me to attending Baylor University where I created so many lasting memories and began fostering my love for medicine and medical humanities. After graduating Baylor, I attending medical school in Houston, TX. I was able to experience how medicine is practiced in a large urban environment and began comparing it to my experiences of rural medicine. It was the spark that has made me passionate about rural medicine and wanting to serve a small community and create generational relationships while providing care in an area that might not have it otherwise! Therefore, I knew I wanted to complete my residency training from a program that will push me academically and prepare me for the rural setting, which led me to Via Christi.

Why Via Christi? Via Christi's reputation of providing full-spectrum family medicine curriculum combined with advanced surgical OB training is what first drew me to the program, but interacting with the individuals of the program is what led me to choose Via Christi above all other programs. On interview day, Via Christi and the people that make it up emanated with warmth and camaraderie. I knew that I wanted a supportive community surrounding me while I undergo the challenging and rewarding journey of residency, and I felt that Via Christi would provide me with that in addition to challenging me academically.

Passions/Hobbies: My favorite books are any murder mystery / thriller genre. Some of my favorites include The Silent Patient, Along Came the Spider, and The Guest List.

Bio: I've been a Texan all my life up until residency. Born and raised in Longview (East Texas), I enjoyed the smaller town/suburban lifestyle and the chance to play multiple sports all year round. Eventually I chose volleyball as my favorite and played for four years at my undergrad, SFASU. One summer during college, my older brother and I took a trip to Kenya with International Medical Aid, and it was my experience there that solidified I wanted to go to medical school. During our month stay, we rotated in a large public hospital in Mombasa and I got a taste of how OB, surgery, neonatal, and infectious disease physicians functioned in a third world country--even before I really experienced how they functioned in the United States! Hosting hygiene clinics for children and medical clinics in rural areas on the weekend made me see how much joy can be found outside of material things and also grateful for everything that I have now. It's my life mission to discover all the ways the Lord can use my talents and gifts to glorify Him and bring others that joy as well!

Why Via Christi? After hearing about Via Christi through friends during my fourth year of medical school, my first interaction with them was at the AAFP conference. Everyone that I met at the booth seemed genuinely enthusiastic about their mission and incredibly authentic. A couple months later, I decided to visit Wichita to get a feel for their program and community. Right of the bat, the family that hosted me set the tone for the weekend with their astounding hospitality and welcoming demeanor. After playing about 7 matches of pickle ball that weekend with the residents, I felt like I fit right in with their fun, athletic, and wholesome vibe (even though my partner and I lost all but one match...)! In the end, I knew I wanted to be surrounded by mentors and co-residents who strove for excellence, had fun, and who I could aspire to be like, as well as be in a program that welcomed the integration of faith in medicine...thankfully, Via Christi had it all!

Passions/Hobbies: I love playing all sports, but volleyball (indoor and sand) is still one of my favorites! I also like to read, workout, do anything outdoors, go to mass & Catholic events, and spend quality time with friends!

Favorite Books, Podcasts:

Favorite books: Abandonment to Divine Providence, Rome Sweet Home, When Breath Becomes Air, and the Bible

Favorite Podcasts: anything by Fr. Mike Schmitz

Plans after residency: Wherever the Lord leads me! Possibly practicing outpatient medicine and going on short term international missions.

Bio:

I was born in Vietnam but my family has been calling Wichita home since I was 8 years old. I am a first-generation college graduate and the first doctor in my extended family. I have an amazing supportive family including my parents and my older sister. Growing up as an immigrant, my parents instilled in me the value of hard work and perseverance. My sister showed me the impact of patience, accountability, and integrity. I met my partner, Joseph, at my PCP's office when we were both in undergrad and he is now a practicing PA. 

 

My fascination for medicine started in my high school chemistry class and I haven't looked back since. I fell in love with Family Medicine for the breadth, the long-term relationships with patients, and the potential for continued life-long learning. My goal as a future Family Doctor is to bridge the gap between medicine and community through culturally competent patient care and education.

Why Via Christi? While looking at residency programs, I tried really hard to find a reason to move to somewhere warmer with more predictable weather than Kansas. However, the more I looked, the more I realized that I was already training with one of the best Family Medicine residency programs in the country (I may be biased...). Via Christi offered everything I wanted in a residency program. All of the residents and faculty that I got to work with exemplified who I wanted to be as a doctor. They were compassionate, intelligent, and always pushed themselves to be better. They were engaged and devoted to to their patients and their community. I knew that I wanted to pursue full-scope training so that my future practice will only be dictated by what I want to do, and not by what I can do. The unquestionable quality of the VCFM program can be seen in its graduates, who are practicing medicine all over Kansas and throughout the country. I am honored to be a part of such an amazing program!

Passions/Hobbies: My hobbies include spending quality time with my family and friends, painting, drawing, crocheting, eating, and traveling. I may or may not have an Etsy shop for my art prints. I like to discover new foods and restaurants, especially locally-owned ones in Wichita. If I have an extended amount of free time, you’d find me traveling to other places, eating too much and taking too many pictures.

Favorite Books, TV Shows: 

Books: The Hunger Games series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Harry Potter series

TV shows: Agents of SHIELD, Lucifer, Criminal Minds

Plans after residency: I would love to stay in Wichita after residency and continue to practice broad-scope Family Medicine including prenatal care, women's health, and lots of procedures.

Bio:
Hey guys! I was born and raised in southern Missouri, right in the heart of the Ozarks. I may be a little partial, but I believe I had one of the best childhoods a kid could hope for. Most of my time was spent either on the family farm or playing any sport I could in town. The river was a short trip from our place, so I was the designated outfitter for my friends on several float trips. None of it beats Sunday lunch at my grandparents however, and I'd say that's what I miss most.
 
After high school, I was blessed to enter the six-year UMKC medical school program. There, I was able to make my passions known by establishing clubs in Wilderness and Rural medicine. The city also provided me with more than just watching the Chiefs win Super Bowls, as I was able to volunteer a significant amount of time to the community and see firsthand the disparities that exist. From the start, I was set on Family Practice, and I can't imagine doing anything else. I love the breadth of training and find it enticing to be that ""old school"" family physician that is able to handle a wide spectrum of conditions.

Why Via Christi? To be honest I initially wasn't thinking Via Christi, as I had my sights set on somewhere in the Rockies. However, once I showed up here, it immediately felt like the place I needed to be. The training was what attracted me, especially the highly regarded OB service. I wanted the skills to truly be a full-spectrum physician, and this program does exactly that. The quality that impressed me most, however, was the Via Christi sense of tribe. They stressed that this isn't just a job with coworkers, this is a family. I know every program seems to say that, but I truly do think this residency shows it. Seeing how the residents and attendings interacted with each other, it was obvious that they enjoy one another's company and really do care about their fellow man.

Passions/Hobbies: Playing sports, weightlifting, fantasy football, floating the river, cards, hunting, and rooting against the Jayhawks (MIZ-ZOU!!)

Favorite Books, Quotes: 
"Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey
 "The Comfort Crisis" by Michael Easter
 The Joe Rogan Experience
 Legends of the Old West
 "Outwork your self doubt" - Alex Hormozi
 "I'm not convinced I know how to read, I've just memorized a lot of words"- Nick Miller"

Plans after residency: My plan is to return to the Ozarks and set up shop being a full-spectrum family medicine physician in a small town.

Bio: ¡Hola! My journey begins in Ojai, California which is a small valley located in Southern California. I was raised by a single immigrant mother from Guadalajara, Jalisco. The limitations and barriers that my family and I faced when seeking access to medical care are what drove me to become the first physician in my family. I am passionate about addressing social determinants of health and providing culturally competent care to marginalized communities. In addition to my personal childhood experiences, my participation in student-run clinics and medical trips to Oaxaca, Mexico and Guatemala allowed me to discover my love for Family Medicine with a strong interest in obstetrical care. After having completed medical school in Kansas, I have become very passionate about rural medicine and I hope I can practice in a rural community after residency. My path into medicine has been non-traditional, but I could not have done it without the unconditional support of my family, mentors and two cats.

Why Via Christi? Via Christi has impressed me since day one of my two-week subinternship rotation during medical school. Via Christi is a well-established program that focuses on providing full-spectrum training in addition to training in scopes and POCUS. Additionally, what drew my attention the most is the high volume of obstetrical care that residents provide and the opportunity to perform primary cesarean sections. All of the interactions that I had as a medical student with the residents and faculty were always positive and welcoming. This is how I knew that Via Christi would provide me with the training and support that I would need to become the physician that I aspire to be.

Passions/Hobbies: When I am not in the hospital, you can find me in my kitchen trying a new recipe or on a long nature walk with my husband and son.

Favorite Movies: Matilda and A Walk to Remember

Plans after residency: After residency, I will practice full-scope family medicine with obstetrical care in either a rural community or an underserved suburban or urban community in Kansas or California. I also plan to incorporate international medicine into my practice.

Other: If you have led a nontraditional path into medicine, embrace it and continue knocking on doors until you find your dream team. You will become the physician you aspire to be! !Sí se puede!

Bio: Hey! My name's Ethan, I'm from a small town west of Halifax, Nova Scotia up in the Great White North. I love to play cards, travel, spend time outside, and I'm currently trying to learn how to cook something other than instant noodles. After getting a degree in Chemistry and Biology in my home province, I skittered down to the Caribbean for medical school, where I entirely dodged the Covid debacle and enjoyed the weather thoroughly. Back home in Nova Scotia however, we face a healthcare crisis, with 150,000 people on the waitlist for a primary care physician, and nurses are leaving in troves. I hope to amass all the possible training that I know Via Christi can provide me, and return home someday to help bear the weight of the crisis.

Why Via Christi? Via Christi had unparalleled procedural opportunities, without hyperbole. I want all the opportunity possible to do everything under the sun. Deliver babies, cast up broken arms, and improve healthcare outcomes for the underserved populations. I knew right away during interview season that Via Christi would provide me with all I am searching for and more. On top of that, the residents and faculty I met during my interview were so personable that I felt right at home (even though I was across the continent at the time). I've known I wanted to be a family doctor since I made my way onto God's green, and I'm so excited that it will be done here in Wichita!

Passions/Hobbies: Travel, music, camping, exercise.

Favorite Books, Quotes:
Misery - Stephen King
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi
"That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse!"

Plans after residency: To return home to help my province's healthcare crisis.

Other: Be good, or be good at it.

Bio: I grew up in Metro Detroit and attended Michigan State University for undergrad where I studied Arts and Humanities and Nutritional Sciences. In college, I pursued several major interests and different career paths simultaneously, including farming, food science, public health, nutrition, microbiology, birth work, and the French language. My most significant experiences included volunteering as an on-call childbirth doula, writing my senior thesis on barriers to urban agriculture for community health in Detroit, and working at a year-round organic farm throughout college. Through much prayer and discernment, I landed on a career in family medicine as the best path forward for me to both serve others and combine my interests in obstetrics, breastfeeding, nutrition, and public health. I began medical school with a career in family medicine with obstetrics in mind, and through clerkships, Sub-Is, electives, and so on, I have only become more certain in this decision. I married my husband, James, during the spring of my fourth year of medical school. He has supported me like no other throughout this process, and we are so excited to begin our new life together, starting in Kansas. I am thrilled to be joining this incredible residency program as the next step in my career with him by my side.

Why Via Christi? When I was looking for a residency program, I knew I wanted something that was not offered in my local area, yet I was extremely overwhelmed by the hundreds of family medicine programs around the country, each one with so many different strengths, weaknesses, values, qualities, and more. In many ways, I feared that I would have to sacrifice quality of training for a residency program where I could live out my values and feel at home away from my home in Michigan. When I read about Via Christi, after I got the recommendation from a physician I worked with during medical school, I found what I didn’t think could exist. No compromises on program quality. No compromises on living out my values as I pursue my training. Exceptional OB training including C-sections. Experience working with diverse communities. A genuinely exceptional resident and faculty community. When I did my Sub-I here, there was even a whole week of sub-zero temperatures, ice, and snow — I’ve been told that’s not normal around here, but it certainly made me happy, and, with at least some winter in Wichita, I knew this was a place that I could get great training, be myself, and feel at home.

Passions/Hobbies: I am a passionate believer in Jesus Christ through the teachings of the Catholic Church. I have eaten a plant-based diet for over a decade. I love all things agriculture, urban farming, and foraging. I am exceptionally passionate about the growing field of Breastfeeding Medicine and am pursuing training as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I am very interested in using fertility awareness methods and their adjuncts for achieving pregnancy/treating infertility. I love hiking, swimming in natural bodies of water, camping, growing food, biking, paddle boarding, and nature walks. I enjoy trying new things, and I thrive on reading books about all of the above.

Favorite Quotes:
“Accept whatever befalls you, and in times of humiliation be patient. For gold is tested in the fire, and those found acceptable, in the furnace of humiliation” - Sirach 2:4-5 
“Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay” - Matthew 10:7-8
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education" - Mark Twain

Plans after residency: My husband and I would love to move back to Michigan or elsewhere in the upper midwest, work in a rural area, and have a large family.

Bio: I grew up in a small town in southwest Kansas where 8-man football and cattle are king. My siblings and I enjoyed all that small town life had to offer and will always have a special connection with western Kansas. After graduating, I moved to Hays, KS, for undergrad where I had my first shadowing experiences in family medicine and immediately fell in love with the opportunities and meaningful relationships afforded by a full-scope practice. I met my wife, Sydney, through a campus ministry Bible study and we got married in the heat of COVID, 9 days before starting medical school. My med school campus set what has to be the record for most kids per capita in a class (9 kids between 10 students) with Sydney and I contributing 2 to the cause, Baker and Brock. Sydney does the lion's share of the work as she stays home with them (after teaching a year) and does it all with a joyful heart, no matter how hard the day. No matter how much we prepped for med school and residency before we got married, I don't think she truly knew what she was signing up for, but she has been my biggest encourager and I'm beyond grateful the Lord blessed me with her!

Why Via Christi? I began to hear rumors about some of the things that made Via Christi so special early on during medical school and I fortunately had the opportunity to meet some of the faculty through involvement in the Christian Medical and Dental Association. I was immediately impressed by their obstetrical volume and the ability to get incredible surgical OB training, as well as everything I heard about the strengths in all other aspects of their training. As I got to know the people of the program better through website bios, word-of-mouth, and a month long Sub-I, I was blown away that people pursuing such high-level training could also be so incredible and encouraging. I was also so impressed by Via Christi's track record of sending great doctors back around my hometown in western KS, an area that is notoriously hard to recruit to. Via was at the top of my list after my Sub-I, then became even more set apart after callback weekend...my wife and I were both blown away by the genuine kindness and fun we experienced the whole weekend and our minds were made up! We're so pumped to be a part of the Via Christi family!

Passions/Hobbies: I love being active with my family, finding excuses to get coffee with my wife, and watching our kids have a blast at the park! I also love playing guitar, listening to country music, reading, lifting weights, and making sad attempts to learn Spanish.

Favorite Books, Quotes:

Favorite Books: 

Promises in the Dark by Dr. Eric McLaughlin, Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

 

Favorite Quotes:

"What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" -- 1 Corinthians 4:7

"He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness." -- Hebrews 5:2

Plans after residency: Southwest Kansas will always hold a special place in my heart and the long-time thought has been to return to the area and practice family medicine with as wide of a scope as I can, particularly with lots of OB. Be careful...I may try to recruit you to go with me! Ultimately however, we're open to wherever we feel the Lord is calling my family and I to go.

Bio:

Hello there! My story starts in a small town located just 45 minutes outside of Wichita, KS with my loving parents and younger sister, Miranda. I met my husband, Jake, in high school and we both attended Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS. After graduating, we got married and moved back to Wichita where I attended medical school. I knew I wanted to do Family Medicine during my rural Family Medicine rotation. I was taken back by the vast scope of Family Medicine and how it was amplified in a rural setting. 

 

My husband and I have two dogs, Niles and Drax, to join us on all our adventures. In my spare time I enjoy traveling, gardening, tending to my large collection of indoor plants, and spending time with friends and family.

Why Via Christi? I was initially drawn to VCFM because of the full-spectrum training offered. During my sub-internship, I was amazed by the breadth of training and autonomy of the residents. I knew the rigorous training offered at VCFM would prepare me well for a career in rural medicine. While looking at residencies, a strong sense of community was something I valued highly and easily found among the faculty and residents at VCFM.

Passions/Hobbies: Plants, Gardening, Cycling, Hiking, Traveling, Crafting

 

Favorite Shows/Movies: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Parent Trap, A Cinderella Story (The Hillary Duff Version)

Plans after residency: My plan is to practice full-spectrum family medicine in a rural community.

Bio: I grew up in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, though I had previously lived in Northwest China and Canada as well. To me there’s nothing better than walking around on a humid summer day, where you can wear the moisture as a blanket. Originally chasing a career in internal medicine, I grew to love the longitudinal patient relationships and flexibility of family medicine. I believe that the most important difference I can make for a patient is aiding them to make sustainable lifestyle changes, which also had the benefit of allowing me to introspect about my life decisions. I also believe that almost any skill can be added to one’s repertoire to better suit the needs of your unique patients and community.

Why Via Christi? I had been seeking family medicine programs that delivered outstanding OB training, and naturally Via Christi popped up during that search. What struck me during both interviews and Second Look was that OB training was not the only high-level aspect of the residency. From IM and Peds training, to the camaraderie found between residents, faculty, and their families, I knew that this was the place where both my medical and personal skills could be nurtured to reach new heights.

Passions/Hobbies: Reading, Journaling, Hiking, Watching Basketball (Go Raptors!)

Favorite Books, Podcasts:
Dune - Frank Herbert
Tigana - Guy Gavriel Kay
Podcast: Revolutions - Mike Duncan

Plans after residency: I plan to practice full-spectrum family medicine with OB, potentially in an academic role; location TBD

Bio:

I was born and raised as a first generation American in Michigan. My parents immigrated to the U.S from Poland, just a couple months before I was born, and yes, I do speak Polish fluently. My interest in medicine began in high school during my anatomy course. My assignment was to complete a human skeleton with home objects and thought it was the best thing. 

 

I graduated from Michigan State University (go green!), completed a one-year masters program with Kansas City University and continued my medical training at KCU in Joplin! I married my husband back in 2019 at the courthouse, however, we followed up with a traditional wedding in Poland just before the start of my intern year in residency! I convinced my husband to get a dog during medical school, but now we have two amazing Golden Retrievers; Milo and Diego, who are my best friends. I love to talk about them so ask me anything!

Why Via Christi? When I made the decision to pursue family medicine, I was looking for a program that would not only train me well but train me to achieve my goals. I really wanted a program that was OB heavy with c-sections and great volume of pediatrics. Via Christi offered that! I was also looking for a program with individuals I can connect with. I remember calling my mom after the interview with Via Christi and she said “I can hear it in your voice, you’re happy.” She knew before I knew that Via Christi was my program and moms are always right.

Passions/Hobbies: Volleyball, tennis, golf, baking, spending time with my husband, Krystian, and my doggos

 

Favorite food: pierogi (similar to a dumpling, but way better)

Bio: I grew up in small town North Dakota, and was raised in a loving home where my parents taught me to put my faith in God and that anything worth having in this life is worth working for. I am the youngest of 3 daughters, and you bet I tried my very best to keep up with them in all their activities: sports, studies, and life. I found my joy in competing in sports throughout high school and continued finding that joy in playing volleyball at the collegiate level. At a young age, I knew I wanted to serve somewhere in medicine as I joke that I didn’t know there were jobs outside the walls of a hospital or nursing home with my family’s careers as physical therapists, dietitian, and pharmacist (can you imagine our dinner table talks now?!). But in all honesty, I witnessed the profound impact they were able to have on people's lives and their communities and I desired to be that person that families would be able to depend on and trust with their wellness journey. Then, in 2020, I started medical school at the University of North Dakota, where I found my vocation to be a family physician, but even better was that I met in my class my amazing husband, Samuel.

Why Via Christi? 

THESE BIOS, I am not kidding. In a world of virtual (almost) everything, I was struck by the genuine bios that expressed fun, unique personalities that were unafraid to express their faith while serving others in medicine- and that was exactly what I had been searching for. I remember doing a happy dance in my living room exclaiming to Samuel “I think I finally found my people!!!” Additionally, being a small town gal to the core, I appreciated that many residents were pursuing rural full spectrum medicine paths because Via Christi is a place where OB in family medicine and rural full spectrum care is celebrated and supported. When I visited in-person for my interview, these values were confirmed to be true as the faculty and residents expressed joy in wanting to walk alongside me on this journey as a physician but also in my faith. 

 

The absolute BEST part is that I was able to couples match with my husband who is in the same city at a Med-Peds residency. We are overjoyed to be on this adventure together in our new home of Kansas.

 

(A little added bonus is that Kansas looks like North Dakota’s twin in terms of flatness so it felt like home, but Kansas is generally 20+ degrees warmer with less snow storms so that is a fun perk!)

Passions/Hobbies: Anything active OUTSIDE, yoga, volleyball, spikeball, skiing (snow & water), lake/river time, attempting to win against my husband in anything competitive.. Family time though is truly my fav, even if it is through facetime or a group phone call.

Favorite Books, Podcasts, Quotes: 

Favorite books: Unbroken, The Great Alone, Where the Crawdads Sing

Podcasts: Bible in a Year, Tooth & Claw

 Quotes: 

 - "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." - Saint Teresa 

 - "If you laugh, you think and you cry, that's a full day" - Jim Valvano"

Plans after residency: God-willing, my husband and I plan to practice in a rural community, and with that, I plan to practice full spectrum family medicine with OB with the dream of taking care of multiple generations. I also have a strong desire to serve those carrying the cross of substance use disorders.