PGY3 | PGY2 | PGY1
Anna Bostrom, M.D.Undergraduate: University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY |
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 I grew up in Versailles, KY (pronounced Vur-sails btw) not far down the road from the Woodford Reserve distillery. I was fortunate to be offered a track/cross country scholarship at the University of Kentucky and spent my college days competing in the SEC (GO CATS). I graduated with a degree in Psychology and then worked for a couple of years as an ED tech, a nurse aide, and a high school cross country coach. I completed my medical degree at the University of Louisville. While in Louisville I met my amazing husband Scott! I was impressed by UMKC’s storied emergency medicine program and by how incredibly welcoming the faculty and residents were on my visit. I am happy to call Kansas City my new home. I enjoy finding new trails to run, hiking, baking, and playing with my new golden retriever Ella. |
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Gabriel Cecenas-Salas, D.O.Undergraduate: Texas Wesleyan University – Fort Worth, TX |
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 I was born and raised in Mexico and moved to Fort Worth, Texas when I was in high school. I did all my education in Fort Worth and decided that residency was a good time for a change of scenery. I did my first audition rotation at Truman and loved it. Being an Inner-city county hospital, they take care of the sickest and most vulnerable populations which resonated heavy with me. The attendings, nurses and residents are extremely friendly and knowledgeable which makes learning very easy. After college, I took some time to apply for medical school. In the meantime, I was scribe in the ED, got married to my amazing wife and we had our first child. During medical school my wife and I had our second kid. My family along with our 2 dogs keep me happy and busy when I am not in the hospital. We love to go on hikes, camping and any outdoor activities. I also enjoy exploring for little-known food trucks and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, which Kansas City has plenty of. I am also happy to have a long discussion about KC vs. Texas BBQ and tell you why Texas BBQ is better. |
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Christopher Elberts, D.O.Undergraduate: Arizona State University – Phoenix |
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 I grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix. I went to undergrad at Arizona State University where I received my B.S. in Biological Sciences. While in undergrad, I became a scribe in a busy ED in downtown Phoenix and worked alongside some amazing doctors who inspired me to become an emergency physician. For medical school, I left Arizona and attended A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri. The weather took some adjusting to, but I quickly felt like I was welcome here in the Midwest. Kirksville is also where I met my fiancée, Stephanie. We couples matched here in KC, and she is an internal medicine resident at KU. For residency, I wanted the best of both worlds as far as a county and academic experience and found that combination here at Truman. The program here is well established, has a great reputation, and the residents and faculty are extremely supportive. In my free time, I am always down for a hike or a trip to the lake. I also enjoy watching basketball and baseball and trying out new restaurants and breweries. |
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Lindsey Harrison, D.O.Undergraduate: University of California, Davis – Davis, CA |
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 I was born in Houston, TX, raised in Sacramento, CA, and am now making my way around the Midwest! After graduating from UC Davis, I knew I wanted to take a few years off to travel and work so I took a job at a nearby community hospital as an ER scribe, which was hands-down one of the best premed experiences I’ve had! Even in medical school, I felt that Emergency Medicine fit the type of physician I wanted to be and the colleagues I wanted to have (ER people are the best!). I learned about UMKC after a fellow EM student rotated there and told me how amazing the group was at supporting each other from all levels (including the students), how badass they were with caring for all types of patients, and how cool KC was to live in; he couldn’t have been more right! Kansas City is the perfect size, having all of the big city amenities without a lot of the big city hassles. In my free time, I love walking the variety of hiking trails throughout the metro with my dog, trying new restaurants, and horseback riding. |
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Conner Holthaus, M.D.Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin- Madison |
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 Hey everybody! I was born and raised in Rochester Minnesota. During high school was a band geek and played the drums in the marching band along with Lacrosse. I then moved to Madison Wisconsin where I became a lifelong badger. I studied biochemistry and anthropology, played Lacrosse, and got a taste of the EMS life while volunteering as an EMT. I then jumped one more state east for medical school in Kalamazoo Michigan (yes, it’s a real place). During medical school, I fell further in love with EM which brought my attention to Truman and UMKC. I knew it was an old well established program, but it was really visiting during interview season that sold it in my eyes. I found all the faculty and residents incredibly welcoming, the program rigorous, and Kansas City a great place to live. Outside of medicine I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend Morgan, playing with our dogs Myles and Porter, finding a new beer to brew, weight lifting, and playing some video games. |
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Helen Hoover, M.D.Undergraduate: Rice University |
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 Howdy! I was born in Waco, Texas and am remarkably not a Baylor alumni, fan of the show Fixer Upper, nor a member of the Branch Davidians. I am a big fan of Dr Pepper though, which was invented in the city! I went to Rice University in Houston for undergrad and studied psychology with a minor in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities (longest title ever, right?). I also got my EMT-B license there and saved a lot of drunk college kids from themselves. Am I a hero? Who’s to say. I loved Houston so much I stayed for medical school and actually walked to my interview from my dorm room. Although I tried my best to keep an open mind through rotations, I just couldn’t shake the emergency medicine bug and decided it was time to see the world beyond Texas. I’m so thrilled to be training at Truman where we’ve got top of the line faculty and residents caring for some of the sickest and most underserved people in Kansas City. Although I picked a heck of a time to move states and start an internship, I’m doing my best to see and taste all that I can in KC. So far I can report we’ve got some lovely parks and hiking trails, delicious take out, and bars that look really cool from the outside. Until the world is less on fire, I’m keeping myself busy by trying to finish the Lord of the Rings books series (finally), watching way too much Netflix, and annoying my neighbors by singing loudly because I miss choir practice. |
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Terra Matthews, D.O.Undergraduate: Marquette University – Milwaukee, WI |
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 I was born and raised in good ol’ Green Bay, Wisconsin (go Pack!). I attended undergrad at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and received a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science and minored in Psychology. From there I knew I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare but wasn’t exactly sure what that would entail. I eventually found myself at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska where I received a master’s degree in Clinical Anatomy working alongside first year medical students. During my time at Creighton I worked in the emergency department at an Omaha hospital as a technician where I grew to love the fast pace and diversity of the emergency room. It was here in Omaha where I met my now husband, Josh, who was pursing a career in dentistry. As he went off to Kansas to work as a military dentist, I was off to Des Moines, Iowa for medical school! After the first two years of medical school didactics, and because the Des Moines area was saturated with rotating medical students, I was offered a unique opportunity to join my husband (and Labrador puppy, Riley!) in Kansas to complete my remaining two years. So, as I continue to circle the Midwest, I was ecstatic to find out that my next stop for residency would be in Kansas City, Missouri! As a fourth-year medical student I had the opportunity to rotate in Truman’s ER and immediately fell in love with the people and environment. Everyone, from the very start, has been very welcoming, genuine, and supportive. In my free time I really enjoy being outdoors on the lake, trying new foods, exploring all the dog parks in the area, practicing yoga and crafting up a new project. |
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Clinton Nelson, D.O.Undergraduate: Arizona State University – Phoenix, AZ |
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 Hey everyone, my name is Clinton and I am a 4th generation Arizonan who keeps coming back to Kansas City! If you’re creeping on profiles of residents and wanting to see if this is a place you’ll fit in…you’re probably right. Now for a little about me, I went to undergrad at Arizona State, worked as an ER scribe during those 4 years where I learned an enormous amount from my mentors, and then on graduation night met my partner of six years. I interviewed for medical school in KC, but ultimately stayed in Phoenix and went to Midwestern University. During med school, I did my best to pretend to be interested in things other than EM, but after about 2 weeks of every specialty I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do. I did my first away rotation at UMKC and immediately recognized this as a program I would want to be at. I enjoyed the camaraderie amongst faculty and residents, breadth of pathology, strong reputation, and wanted the opportunity to provide care to the underserved. When not in the ED, you can find me riding my bike (even in the cold), replacing my calories by exploring the excellent food/BBQ with my partner, cultivating our Untappd accounts with local beers, or consuming coffee at one of the many roasteries! |
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Zachary Randall, M.D.Undergraduate: University of Missouri-Kansas City – Kansas City, MO |
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 My life journey began in Springfield, MO when my mom gave birth to me. I am a family man. My family consists of a knockout wife Monica, and three wonderful and loving kiddos- Lyla, Emory and Jackson. I make electronic music using Ableton Live with various softsynths, but I love the mind-blowing richness of analogue synthesizers way more! Art is really cool and I am pretty good at appreciating it, but not so great at making it. I was formerly athletic before med school with primary sporting interests in soccer and cycling. My current un-athleticness does not prevent me from loving Liverpool Football Club– we’re the top of the league! I guess I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for RPGs (that’s role playing games) but I am not as interested in LARPing. I am one of those rare cases of a person who loves Star Trek and almost anything with the word “star” in it, but definitely not a nerd in any way. I have become somewhat of a Kansas Citian over the last 8 years or so. I did my undergrad at UMKC. I was not a pre-med, but the med school was still willing to take me so I stayed for that too. I was very interested in EM from the get-go and I was fortunate enough to land in one of the oldest and most established programs in the nation here at Truman. I had so much fun working with all of the wonderful faculty here, and most importantly I love taking care of our Truman patients. I am thrilled to be sticking around for another three years! |
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Keton Schroeder, M.D.Undergraduate: University of Missouri-Kansas City – Kansas City, MO |
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 Hello! I was born and raised in the Raymore/Lee’s Summit area. I attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City for undergrad and studied biology. After undergrad I met my wife while we were both on a mission trip in Guatemala (we may or may not have been set up by our parents). I then attended UMKC for medical school and was able to have TMC as my first real taste of emergency medicine. I knew that I wanted to be a part of this program when I saw the high level of training here and ample amount of learning opportunities that are available to residents. On top of this, my wife and I have always loved living in the Kansas City area. When we both have free time we enjoy exploring new coffee shops, small restaurants, rock climbing and playing with our new baby boy. |
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Austin Thompson, M.D.Undergraduate: Georgia College & State University – Milledgeville, GA |
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 I am originally from Appling, GA, a small town located outside of Augusta. When not in the ED, I enjoy being outdoors, often hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking, and running. I also love sports and I rarely miss a Braves or Falcons game. I majored in biology at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, followed by medical school at Mercer University in Savannah (Go Bears!), where I made memories and friendships I’ll cherish forever. In the two years between undergraduate and medical school I worked as an OR tech, and more importantly, married the love of my life, Amy. I chose UMKC for its reputable program, from which I am confident I will receive training and education with equal autonomy and supervision (I may have also been lured with EXCELLENT bbq). There is so much about KC to love and I look forward to exploring this great city. My move to Kansas City is my first outside of Georgia, but the transition has been seamless, thanks to faculty and co-residents who made me feel at home and welcomed me to the UMKC EM family. |