Avery Abernathy, DO

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Avila University

Where did you grow up? I was born in Great Bend, KS and grew up in Manhattan, KS.

What are your goals and interests? My goal is to become an exemplary physician in a rural community who is well-known for forming strong and caring relationships with my patients. I am happily married and enjoy spending time with my wife and our four-legged children, (long hair Chihuahuas) Conan and Sonya. We like spending weekends boating on the lake, going to Chiefs, Royals, or Sporting KC games and in between we fill the down time by streaming old TV shows on Netflix. I also play indoor and outdoor soccer and I have been known to BBQ just about anything.

Best day as a doctor? The day that I decided on Family Practice for my future career! As a medical student on rotations I was interested in a little bit of everything which made choosing a specialty agonizingly difficult. Out on a family medicine rotation in a rural Missouri town, it finally hit me like a ton of bricks that I was born to be an FP and it was an exciting feeling to finally find my calling!

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I chose UMKC for several reasons! It’s an unopposed program in a community-based hospital yet has a strong academic focus without all the pretenses typical of most academic programs. While rotating at UMKC as a medical student, the administration, faculty, and residents all made me feel like I was a part of one big happy family. Additionally, as a future rural family physician who will need to be proficient in the full scope of family medicine, this program is equipped to make me a well-rounded doctor with areas of particular strength in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, procedural training, and further development my osteopathic clinical skills.

Mitchell Bartley, DO

Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

Baker University

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Northeast Kansas. Most of the time was spent on a farm outside Robinson, KS and then I lived about four years in Hiawatha, KS.

What are your goals and interests? I am very interested in preventive medicine and sports medicine. I envision myself working in a practice which is very heavily focused on disease prevention. I also could see myself working in the academic side of medicine and being active in policy making when it comes to healthcare.

Best day as a doctor? I have only "officially" been a doctor for a few days now, but I'd say during my training no particular "day" sticks out. What I've truly enjoyed about my transition to becoming a physician is getting to know people at the deepest levels, and having them look to me for help in their times of need. That is VERY rewarding, and is what I truly enjoy about medicine. It is by far the best "job" in the world, in my opinion.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? Simply put, Dr. Shaffer and the people. The day I spent here interviewing truly blew me away. I had pretty much decided not to pursue residency in the Midwest as my wife and I were quite happy in the Southeast, but in the end decided I better give this program a look. I am certainly glad I did. As I did my research and discovered all the program had to offer leading up to my interview day, I thought I may have found the "total package" but still wasn't sure. Once I spent the day interviewing, there was no doubt in my mind. The EMR and dedication to technology, the unopposed nature of the program, the leadership and professionalism that pervades the program, the opportunity for an integrated MBA, the University affiliation, the family friendly nature of the program, and the opportunities for in house fellowships were all aspects that led me to believe this is easily the best program for me.

Kris Cowan, DO, MBA, MHA

Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

University of Missouri

Where did you grow up? Springfield, Missouri

What are your goals and interests? To continue to learn about medicine and integrate my background in hospital administration to help improve the health of our community and help guide change throughout the health care system to provide better quality care and better service to our patient population.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? To continue to learn about medicine and integrate my background in hospital administration to help improve the health of our community and help guide change throughout the health care system to provide better quality care and better service to our patient population.

Kelly Jo Easley, MD

University of Kansas School of Medicine

William Jewel College

Where did you grow up? Excelsior Springs, MO

What are your goals and interests? My goal is to be a full-spectrum family medicine doctor in a small community like the one I grew up in. My interests include decorating, reading, singing, photography, travel, and food.

Best day as a doctor? When a patient sent me a letter thanking me for helping them, for saying something that touched them, and for really listening to them.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? The atmosphere of support, in combination with the excellent training was exactly what I was looking for.

Britney Else, DO

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Northeastern State University

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Montana in the cities of Billings and Butte.

What are your goals and interests? My number one goal is to always be the best person I can be; for myself, family and patients. My interests are athletics and my family.

Best day as a doctor? My best day as a doctor had to be my first delivery as a doctor. It is a really special moment and I felt on top of the world. It is a moment that I will never forget and I will always remember that baby's name!

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I chose UMKC because I knew I was going to get the best training and hands on experience due to the dedication of the attendings and staff!

Jennifer Forsyth, DO, MBA

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Winona State University

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Cannon Falls, MN - a small town just north of Rochester, MN. I lived on a farm with my parents and two brothers.

What are your goals and interests? My goal is to prepare myself to become a well trained family physician that can work in any rural area. My family and I plan to move to rural Montana after residency. Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending my time with my husband, Mike, our daughter, Abigail, and our dog, Lucy. I love playing softball, working outside, reading, and completing projects on our house.

Best day as a doctor? My favorite experience as a doctor thus far has been sharing good news with patients and encouraging them in their lives.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I loved the atmosphere at UMKC, the residents and attendings made me feel very welcome. The size of the program seemed just right and the fact that the program is unopposed is a huge plus. The brand new rural track was irresistible.

Drew Glover, MD

University of Missouri-Kansas City

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Warrensburg, Missouri (lovingly known as "THE BURG", seriously, that phrase was even the decal on the high school football helmets for a stint in the mid 90's and it's still a goal of mine to bring it back some day). As the proud son (#3 of 4 sons, and yes, I know, my POOR mother) of a Family Medicine and Sports Medicine doc, when I wasn't on the field myself I could be found patrolling the sidelines at UCM Mules and WHS Tigers games with Dad, watching him work with the athletes and generally trying not to get mauled by a sideline tackle or misguided mascot (I still don't trust them).

What are your goals and interests? Essentially my entire life I have known one thing about what I would be when I grew up; I would work with athletes. After my completion of my Family Medicine Residency, I intend to complete a fellowship in Sports Medicine in hopes of using that training in some capacity whether it be high school or college athletes. I am very family-oriented and love spending time with my beautiful wife of four years, Shannon and our 2 year old, Reese (soon to be a big sister, coming in August!) Otherwise, I am an avid Chiefs fan, loyal Royals fan, and have the rare ability to get caught up in any game of any sort after only two minutes. I am always game for golf, soccer, basketball, football, softball! I also really enjoy a good book, and most recently read Born to Run. It was awesome, but I'm looking to tackle a classic next.

Best day as a doctor? Probably the best experience I've had so far has been one I had in high school. I had the opportunity to run triage in a free medicine clinic in third world Jamaica for a week and I've still never found anything quite like it or quite as rewarding. We saw 800 plus patients in five days with two Dr.'s and a NP. The patients were so grateful for the care and I truly believe we positively impacted their lives, and I know they impacted mine. That experience was when I decided to become a doctor. I can't think of a much better day than the day I discovered medicine was my calling!

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I chose UMKC for countless reasons, but ultimately, after I spent a month at UMKC for an elective, I was so impressed with the faculty, the residents and the facilities at UMKC that I couldn't really see myself anywhere else. The residents have a great amount of autonomy in an unopposed, community-based program with support from faculty that is composed mostly of Family Medicine docs. The partnership with TMC Hospital Hill also provides advantages for electives, and I couldn't possibly imagine a better place to train in pediatrics than Children's Mercy Hospital. Additionally, UMKC offers fellowships in Sports Medicine, Surgical Obstetrics and Geriatric Medicine, so post-residency training opportunities are abundant. The program is also very family-friendly in many ways, which I knew I had to have with my growing family. I was confident when I chose UMKC that I was choosing a great place to train in the company of great people and superb leadership. I could not have asked for more and am blessed to be a part of UMKC Family Medicine!

Chris Jenks, MD

University of Kansas School of Medicine

Washburn University

Where did you grow up? Born in Topeka. Raised in Topeka. Went to college… in Topeka. Moved to KC for medical school, and I still haven’t left.

What are your goals and interests? I would like to eventually work as a family physician for a rural to semi-rural community in North-East Kansas. I would like to incorporate some degree of Sports Medicine into my practice, but I am not sure how much yet. I am a huge fan of the NFL (especially the Chiefs and Fantasy Football) and NCAA Basketball (Rock Chalk!). I like all other sports too, but there is only so much time to commit to watching sports! I also enjoy working out, house renovation, golf, fishing, cooking, and playing with my daughter, etc.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? Location was a big factor for us, since my wife and I have a young daughter. Family is important to us and we wanted to continue living close to our parents for extra support and free babysitters. Also, I was very impressed with the staff and the direction that the program is headed. Relative to the other programs I interviewed at, this program was much closer to achieving its goals of transitioning towards the Patient Centered Medical Home model that appears to be the future of medicine in this country. Furthermore, this program is “unopposed”, since we are the only residents working in the TMC-Lakewood hospital. I liked this because, as a family medicine resident, I won’t have to “fight” residents from other fields for procedures and clinical experiences. I am also very interested in the Sports Medicine Fellowship. Honestly, there are others, but I this is getting a bit long. Feel free to ask if you see me.

Annie Lewis, DO

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University

Carthage College

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Muskegon, MI

What are your goals and interests? I initially joined the military before medical school in order to not have such a large financial burden should God call me to medical missions work once I complete my training. My goal is to become fully equipped for broad-scoped medical practice. In my spare time I enjoy running and fitness as well as spending time studying the Bible.

Best day as a doctor? When I was serving as a flight surgeon for my Marine squadron in Thailand conducting joint exercises with the Royal Thai Air Force. During the day I was able to fly in a large force exercise in the backseat of an F/A-18, then in the afternoon just as we were preparing to close up the aid station for the day we had an influx of patients including one Marine who had fallen through a plate glass door with multiple superficial lacerations and another who initially reported a "bike accident", but had actually been slashed by a tiger while visiting a Thai zoo and had a deep foot laceration into the muscle. The best part of the day was putting my corpsmen to work on the multiple laceration patient knowing that I had trained them well for this moment and had confidence that they could take care of him while I attended to the deeper, more complicated injury of the tiger victim. We left the clinic exhausted but feeling like we had earned our paycheck for that day.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I chose UMKC FM residency because it offers the most comprehensive scope of training, particularly in obstetrics, while also holding residents to the highest standard of excellence in order to graduate fully competent, experienced family physicians.

Robert Miley, DO, MBA

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Rockhurst University

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Sunset, Utah. I moved to the Kansas City Area in 2004 with my wife, who is a native of the greater Kansas City area.

What are your goals and interests? I am interested in Rural Medicine and Sports Medicine and see myself working in one or both of these areas after I have completed my training.

Best day as a doctor? So far, I have not had many days as a doctor, but they have all been pretty good. It is nice to go home at the end of the day feeling like I have made a difference in someone’s life. It is also fun to have my children and wife tell me how proud they are that I am a doctor.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I chose UMKC Truman Lakewood for several reasons. My family wanted to stay in the Kansas City area. I enjoyed working with the current residents when I was a student. The program also offers rural and sports medicine training, in an unopposed environment.

Erin O’Laughlin, DO

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

Indiana University

Where did you grow up? Kansas City, just South of the Plaza!

What are your goals and interests? I reached one of my biggest lifetime goals the day I graduated medical school. Now I aspire to be the best physician possible, and my goal is to stay positive, energetic and motivated for the rest of my journey towards doctorhood. My interests are many, including first and foremost, my family! I love coffee, photography, food, swimming, horses and the summertime.

Best day as a doctor? Definitely the first time I delivered a baby. I felt like I was actually doing something productive, on my own. I am sure now in residency I will have many days that outshine that moment!

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? The location and the people. I couldn't ask for a better pair.

Jackie Price, DO

A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine

Creighton University

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Newton, Iowa with my parents and my sister, Sara.

What are your goals and interests? I am interested in hiking, boating, scrapbooking, music, and reading. My goals are to continue my medical training to become a caring and knowledgeable family physician, help the underserved, and stop moving as frequently as I did in medical school!

Best day as a doctor? That is a hard one! There have been so many good days. However, I would have to say my best day as a doctor was during my rotation here at TMC Lakewood. I was on the inpatient service and had been following a patient for a few days. As I walked into her room the patient was on the telephone. She promptly said through the phone to her mother that her favorite person just walked in and that she had to go. She quickly hung up the phone and was all ears to find out how I was doing and see if we had come up with a new plan for her care.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? I completed a rotation at UMKC during my fourth year of medical school and was impressed at the level of education and training offered. The residents seemed very knowledgeable and competent while the attendings were approachable and took teaching very seriously. I also was looking for a residency that was unopposed, included obstetric care, in a bigger city without being downtown, and was close to my family. UMKC met all of these criteria and felt like the kind of place I wanted to call home for the next three years of my life.

Pete Scaletty, MD

University of Kansas School of Medicine

University of Kansas

Where did you grow up? I was born in Parsons, Kansas; a small town in the southeast part of the state. When I was four years old my family moved to Olathe which is where I lived until I attended college. I played football at Avila University before receiving my degree from the University of Kansas.

What are your goals and interests? I come from a large family with more than 40 cousins, 25 aunts and uncles, 5 siblings, 17 in-laws, 17 nieces/nephews and one son of my own. You could say that my family alone is a hobby. I also have a deep appreciation for food…eating it, cooking it, sharing it. I am a certified BBQ judge and an avid BBQ competitor. I’m also a huge sports fan. My two favorite teams are the Chiefs and the Jayhawks but I love watching all sports.

Why did you choose UMKC for your residency? After choosing Family Medicine as a specialty I was very happy to find such a great program right here in the Kansas City area. Lakewood had more than one unique feature that drew me to the program. The electronic medical records were by far the best I had seen at any hospital. In addition, they are leaps and bounds above their peers at creating a patient centered home and including their residents in the development. It is an all-around great program and I feel honored to be a part of such a great team.