I grew up in a small-town Tremonton, UT where I ran around in the mountains and enjoyed spending time among the plants and birds. I went to college in Logan, UT where I learned to rock climb, and studied entomology, botany, world religions, and did my pre-med classes. I decided to pursue healing as a career, explored acupuncture, naturopathy, nursing, and ultimately decided on osteopathic medicine. I applied to a bunch of medical schools and got accepted to an Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in South Carolina. I spent two years there before moving to the hippie brewery-filled town of Asheville, NC among the great blue ridge mountains.

Between clerkships I enjoyed climbing and hiking with my osteopathic professor, eating at delicious vegetarian restaurants, and enjoying delicious craft beer. I enjoyed myself most on my outpatient family medicine, osteopathic, and integrative medicine rotations and decided that preventive medicine was the way to go for me. I applied to various residency programs across the country, looking for programs where I could serve the underserved and disenfranchised, have a degree of autonomy, have a broad scope of practice, and be among supportive staff and residents.

This program was among the few that really fit the bill and I am happy to be in southern Colorado. When I finish here, I plan to start a low overhead lifestyle-based preventive medicine practice with an emphasis on OMT, nutrition, and addressing the complex socioeconomic and environmental factors that inevitably affect health. I will probably stay somewhere in Colorado and hope to have great relationships with patients and the world around me.

I grew up in rural Kansas about 15 miles outside the small town where I went to school. However, many of my fondest childhood memories involve hiking or camping in Colorado, and I have planned to move to here since I was a child. By the time I was in high school, I was known for being a “health nut,” and for my interest in medicine, both mainstream and alternative. I attended the University of Nebraska- Lincoln for undergrad, where I studied biochemistry because I wanted to understand how the body (and medicine) works at a very detailed level.

After college, I took some time to travel and explore my goals, and as a result decided to study public health while I was applying to medical school. I obtained an MPH with a focus on global health and completed a 4-month field study in Jimma, Ethiopia. Soon after returning, I began medical school at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine. During medical school, I completed a year-long fellowship in Osteopathic Principles & Practices. I’m grateful for my training and passionate about including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in my practice.

I decided to pursue family medicine for many of the same reasons I chose osteopathic medicine. My goal as a physician is working with patients to help them obtain their healthiest version of themselves. I believe that family medicine truly is the best venue for preventative health and facilitating wellness. I chose residency at SCFM because of both the training and the people. I wanted full spectrum training, with strong OB experience and opportunities for OMT. I also knew from my rotation here that the people are welcoming, dedicated, and hard working.

Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our son, and our two dogs. My hobbies include running, hiking, camping, and just about anything involving mountains or the outdoors. We are especially excited to be living so close to so many amazing outdoor activities.

I was born in small town western Iowa, where I grew up on our family farm, raising livestock and row crops. The nearest town to our farm had a population of only 300 residents, the town in which I attended high school had a population of approximately 5,000, and my college town had a population of just over 10,000. I have spent my entire life in the graces of small town, agricultural, America and I am now happy to call Pueblo home. I have already spent the majority of years three and four of medical school working as a medical student here, in Pueblo, Colorado. This city had granted me many unique learning opportunities. Being a “smaller” family-oriented city, I have received an extraordinary level of hands on education in full scope family medicine in Pueblo. Now I am even more pleased to be here as a Resident Physician, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.

My view on medicine started at an early age. At eighteen months of age, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. My family traveled with me to Children’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska numerous times in the next three years during my treatments. Thanks to modern medicine, and skilled doctors and nurses, I was in remission in one year; completely treated, and back to full health in three years. To this day my family and I are thankful for everyone in the medical profession. I can truly say, “They gave me a second chance at life.” Through all of this, I came to admire health care professionals and aspired to do something meaningful with that second chance. My family and I know firsthand how big of an impact medical professionals can have on our world and all of the individual lives within it that they touch. My goal had always been to someday be one of these life changing doctors, now here I am!

I chose family medicine for the broad spectrum this specialty offers along with the great need for this specialty within the underserved small towns and cities across America. I prefer a comprehensive and holistic approach in the way that I practice medicine. I take pleasure in teaching patients and family members about their conditions and enjoy working with fellow physicians in our hospitals and clinics. As a Resident Physician, I am currently working towards a career in Osteopathic Medicine with an emphasis on proactive, whole body, health and wellness, gearing towards sports medicine and rehabilitation.

As a busy doctor, I still try to find some time to enjoy archery, marksmanship, hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking and camping. Also, in my rare leisure time, I like to build wood and metal crafts, as well as build motors and drag race my pride and joy, 300+ horsepower, Harley Davidson motorcycle. Additionally, I have traveled abroad on several Medical/Educational Global Engagement trips; to rural Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, and rural South Africa. I continue to carry strong ties to all rural comminutes, valuing my own upbringing on a farm in small town Iowa. I hope to someday start my own ranch and private practice office of osteopathic, wholistic, family medicine to serve the well-deserving, but often underserved, farming communities around the world.

I was born in Indiana, but moved to South Carolina when I was very young and consider Greenville, SC home. I grew up in a medical home with an ER dad and so loved medicine from an early age. I went to undergrad at Clemson University (home of the national champion Tigers!). I then got my medical degree at VCOM-Virginia Tech campus and loved being near the mountains there.

I started my post medical school journey in OB/GYN and did two years of residency, followed by a year as a general practitioner before switching into Family Medicine here. During medical school I always loved each rotation, and tried to glean some sort of knowledge to take forward with me to the next. This love of all things medicine, while still maintaining a large scope of obstetrics and gynecology is what really drew me to Family Medicine. I was looking for a place that would allow me to stretch my wings in all areas of medicine, and somewhere that had a great culture and dedicated faculty. That is certainly Southern Colorado Family Medicine, and I have enjoyed my transition here, and look forward to becoming a more complete physician during my time.

When not running around the hospital or clinic, I love all things sports and outdoors. I am an avid NBA/NFL/College Football fan and will definitely enjoy rooting on the Broncos this year (Orange is definitely a theme apparently, with an orange High School, College, Medical School, and now here hmmm). I am still in awe everywhere I drive looking at the Front Range in Colorado and am looking forward to exploring everything the state has to offer.

I was born and raised in a small town in Virginia (Madison). I am the oldest of five kids, all home-schooled. Mom is a physical therapist and my dad is a brick mason. I spent summers in undergrad and med school doing masonry labor. I went to college at University of Virginia and medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University. I moved out to Colorado with my fiance.

I love working with my hands and doing procedures. I want to practice full scope rural family medicine. I wanted to be able to take care of everyone from babies to the elderly.

My hobbies include snowboarding, mountain biking, road biking, triathlons, hiking, swimming, running, and binge-watching south park. I’m also a craft beer enthusiast.

Born in Durango, CO, I lived in the rural Four Corners area until age 11, when my family and I moved to Pueblo West, CO. I attended college at Colorado State University-Pueblo on an athletics scholarship. After taking about five years off from school to work as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, I went to medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

I had become interested in a career in primary care before medical school and became more confident in my decision to pursue family medicine during my clerkship rotations. I loved forming relationships with my patients, both young and old, and getting to see them repeatedly over time, helping to maintain and optimize their health and focusing on prevention as much as possible. As a family practice physician, I get to employ a large scope and take care of a diverse number of people: some of my strongest interests include sports medicine, obstetrics, and public health. In no other specialty could I employ such a broad skillset.

In the future, I want to provide care to the rural and underserved, especially in low or no-cost clinics, because I can relate to the needs and challenges of this vulnerable patient population having been that patient myself. I wanted a residency that had the same focus. I chose Southern Colorado Family Medicine because SCFM delivers safety net care for Pueblo and the surrounding areas. I also loved that SCFM operates a Migrant Clinic and has a strong OB component. Because the program affords flexibility for pursuing personal interests while maintaining a rigorous, well-rounded core curriculum, I know that I will be well-trained in full-scope family medicine upon completion of this program.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our children, and our friends and family. We love traveling being outside playing sports, hiking, or boating. Pueblo is a wonderful community, and I am thrilled to be training here!

I am from Provo, UT and studied biochemistry at Brigham Young University. After college I worked in research and clinical labs and before going to medical school I worked as a ski instructor. While living in Salt Lake City I met my wife who had just graduated from law school.

After getting married we left for Yakima, Washington where I attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University.

We have a three-year-old son who was born during my second year of medical school. When we are not playing cars with him we love spending time enjoying the outdoors as a family, hiking, skiing, and climbing.

I was drawn to SCFM for their strength in obstetrics and OMM, and the unique opportunities they offer such as migrant clinic and acupuncture training. After interviewing at SCFM I felt a connection to the attendings and residents and appreciated the supportive structure and family-friendly atmosphere that they fostered.

I am grateful for the opportunity I have to the train here at SCFM and I’m looking forward to all the opportunities Pueblo and Colorado have to offer.

I attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, WA. I received my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young University and worked as a software engineer prior to medical school.

I wanted a residency that would teach me full spectrum family medicine and OMT in an unopposed setting. I chose SCFM because it had these qualities as well as faculty and staff that create an excellent learning environment. I was also drawn to SCFM by the opportunities for extra training in performing colonoscopies, OMT, acupuncture, and surgical obstetrics.

My free time is spent with my family exploring the great outdoors of Colorado.

Denver is my home, but I’ve lived in many areas in the eastern United States when I was growing up. My parents were graduate students struggling to make ends meet. I am thankful to call Denver home for the last 18 years and see that the access to medicine for the underserved has improved.

For college I attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden with the intention of either going into pre-med path to become a physician or to become an engineer. After graduation, I had a detour for several years starting my own business as a software developer. The time was well spent, but my original desire to become a physician was unquenchable, which set the motion for my going back to school. My med school was the University of Colorado School of Medicine, fortunate enough to be in the same city. I had a wonderful but grueling four years of which reaffirmed my career choice as a family physician.

I chose Pueblo and Southern Colorado Family Medicine because of the wonderful people I met on my interview trail, the incredible training it offers as well as proximity to home. This was a good opportunity to venture outside of the comfort zone of my home city and yet stay within a drive away from friends and family.

I am most passionate about preventative and integrative medicine, endocrine, mental health and digestive disorders, as well as technology in medicine. Every day I am grateful for the opportunity to be a physician-in-training here in Pueblo. Looking forward to working with the people of Pueblo and to enjoy the surroundings!

I was born in Dubuque, IA, but moved when I was 4 years old, and grew up in Louisville and Boulder, CO. I completed my Associated in the Applied Science of Medical Assisting from Westwood College. I worked for Boulder Community Hospital after my first degree, and it was at this time that my passion for medicine grew even more. The doctors I worked with were wonderful, they fostered my passion and taught me so much. After 4 years, I decided to go back to school to become a physician. I received Undergraduate degrees in Biology and Anthropology from the University of Colorado Denver. I worked at the campus library and as a teaching assistant during school and fell in love with teaching others as well.

I attended medical school at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, CO, and spent an extra year at their Southern Utah campus in St. George completing a pre-doctoral fellowship in Principals of Clinical Medicine. I not only got to teach students the basics of history taking, physical exams and procedures, but I was able to do rounds at a Veteran’s home and volunteer at a free walk-in clinic seeing patients with acute needs. I was able to spend a month with SCFM during the last year and knew during that time that this was the place for me. I loved the area and the people, and in that short time I just felt as if I belonged. I know I will get a great and well-rounded education here that will make me a wonderful doctor. In the future I hope to work primarily in underserved areas, and hopefully also return to teaching and taking other students for rotations.

When I have extra time, I love spending it with my husband, Sam, our German Shepard, Gideon, and the rest of my family and friends. I like to hike, camp, and garden outdoors. I also knit, make candles and jewelry, read, and bake – I love making cakes and cookies and sharing them with everyone. I always love learning and doing new things and am excited to be able to explore the town and area for all the great things to do and new activities to learn.

As a little girl growing up in my village in Cameroon (West Africa), medicine was even further from a dream. It was not for girls like me. After moving to the USA (Colorado) in 2006, I felt loved, cared for, and supported by my community. I knew I wanted care for people and thought medicine could be a great way to do this considering I was a sick child myself.

I completed my undergraduate education in biology through the University of Colorado and eventually with a lot of love and support was able to get my doctorate from the University of Colorado also.

My decision to specialize in family medicine was a very easy one. Growing up as a child, I don’t remember seeing any doctor that was not a family medicine doc. They took care of all the members of my family and were well invested in my health and overall future. I also wanted to practice international medicine in resource scarce areas and family medicine was a specialty that would allow me to pick up and go with little need for high technology. I see family medicine as a specialty that will give me the opportunity to bond with my patients in a way that will carry them “pre-womb to tomb”. My love for family was so obvious while in medical school that I accepted a job offer as a first year medical student to practice in Lamar Colorado.

I wanted a residency program where I would be able to learn full spectrum family medicine and South Colorado Family Medicine was the best fit. I fell in love with the people, the location, and the fact that it was an unopposed program. I loved that I would be able to be in an OB track as a way to foster my love for experiencing the miracle of life.

If you asked my Grandmother (bless her soul) she would tell you that I was blessed (or cursed depending on the day) with the love for and ability to dance. I love to dance A LOT. I also act, play the djembe, and I am a mean plastic canvas artist. I guess it was the best irony when I married my high school sweet heart who doesn’t dance or has any fine motor skills (sorry Babe) but can spend many hours watching animes with me when I am not doing medicine. I am blessed with the best husband a girl could ever ask for, my four brothers, two of the most handsome twin nephews you would ever meet, my mother and my in-laws who love me and support me unconditionally. With my husband and our doggy Scotty, we are excited and blessed to be taking part in the Pueblo community.

I grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania called State College, the home of Penn State University. My first job, and the one I returned to every winter during high school, was as a ski instructor. Like all of my fellow instructors, I dreamed of moving out to Colorado one day. But I took a couple of detours first, spending almost seven years in the Army, then returning to Penn State to major in electrical engineering. Finally, I attended the University of Oklahoma - School of Community Medicine, an integrated track within the OU College of Medicine that goes beyond the required curriculum teaching students to improve the health of entire communities.

I am very excited to have finally landed in Colorado, and now that I’m here I don’t intend to ever leave. I’d like to live and practice medicine in a small mountain town after residency, and that’s why I chose the Southern Colorado Family Medicine – Rural Training Track program. I believe this is the best place to learn the skills I’ll need to take care of the health of whole families in a small town like the one I grew up in.

I still love to ski, although these days I prefer to earn my turns in the backcountry, and I love just about every other mountain sport there is, from rafting and backpacking in the summer to winter mountaineering; from rock and ice climbing to paragliding.

My name is Chad Roberts. I have an easygoing, laid-back personality, and I like to have fun. I grew up in Northern Utah and later attended Dixie State College followed by the University of Utah where I completed my Bachelors Degree in German. I then traveled to Phoenix, Arizona where I received my Masters Degree in Biomedical Sciences. Finally, I attended the University of Utah School of Medicine for medical school.

I am an outdoorsman and love the wild adventure life has to offer. I like hiking, climbing, canyoneering, camping, river rafting and exploring untraveled places. l love to seek out the most remote and far-away places I can. Some of these places have included long stretches of time in the northern arctic latitudes of Alaska/Canada and the inner remote reaches of Patagonia. The years I’ve spent in the forgotten, mysterious canyon country of the red rock desert and the Colorado Plateau are among my most favorite.

I also enjoy research. It started with studying water quality and giardia in Southern Utah’s slot canyons. This transitioned to several other projects, including hypothermic drug development at the University of Utah and studying hemerheology in spaceflight through NASA’s Aerospace Medicine Training program in Houston, Texas. I like the research process and will always make it a part of my future career.

I plan to make medical humanitarian work and wilderness search and rescue a large part of my future career as well. I am a former Deputy Sheriff for Salt Lake County Search and Rescue and I have taught wilderness and rescue medicine for the University of Utah and other private organizations for many years now. I intend to use and teach these skills to the local and abroad communities as much as I can.

I am excited to be a part of the Southern Colorado Family Medicine team. I look forward to my time here in Colorado!

My name is Christin Thompson. I grew up in Monument, Colorado where we have 35 acres with horses, cows, chickens, dogs and geese. I loved growing up on land and I am so glad to be back in Colorado. I did my undergraduate at University of Denver where he played Division I tennis. I have also coached a lot of tennis between college and medical school. I spent some time playing tennis overseas and during that time I developed a love for the underserved population. That is one of the reasons I decided to pursue medicine. I am passionate about doing medicine overseas and teaching doctors overseas how to provide more efficient medical care to those who don’t have access to care.

I love to be outside running, hiking, with my dogs, climbing, riding horses, or coaching tennis. When I was in medical school I did some dog rescue and love my dogs with all my heart. My goal is to climb all of the 14ers in Colorado. I have currently climbed 38 of them.

I’ve spent the last 20 years living in Colorado and consider myself a native! I studied Chemistry at the University of Denver and completed medical school at Rocky Vista University in Parker, CO. I’ve picked up many hobbies over the years while in Colorado! Skiing is one of my big passions and I spend most winters chasing as many snow storms as I can. During the summer I enjoy rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and exploring the outdoors.

I really enjoy family medicine because it gives me a chance to see and solve a variety of different problems every day. I believe that building relationships with patients and creating continuity is important. SCFM gives me the resources to hone my knowledge and skills so I can continue serving the Colorado community. The program highly values wellness and provides many outlets to continue what I love to do.

I was born in Moscow, Idaho, but grew up 8 miles away in Pullman, Washington. My father is a microbiology professor and my mother runs a daycare, so it was almost destined that I would go into a profession that integrated science and caring for others. I did my undergrad at the University of Washington. After doing research at the NIH for 2 years, I went to medical school at the University of Kentucky. Following medical school, I pursued an MPH with a concentration in epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health.

Traveling from state to state made it so I had to learn to develop strong relationships quickly. Which, in turn, led me towards family medicine, a specialty where one needs to form strong bonds with their patients quickly in order to successfully help them. I chose SCFM because it is an unopposed residency where I knew I could get ample hands-on experience, and because of its focus on the blue-collar and underserved populations of Colorado. I was also drawn to the location. Living in Pueblo, I have the resources of Colorado Springs and Denver, but I don’t have to deal with the daily traffic associated with these large cities. There is seriously never traffic in Pueblo!

In my free time, I enjoy playing sports like soccer, tennis, and basketball. I also enjoy traveling abroad and sampling the various cheeses of the world. In Colorado, enjoy exploring the various mountains through hiking, rock climbing, and snowshoeing. Lastly, if there is a TV show on Netflix, Hulu, or HBO, I have probably binge-watched it.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles (where my family still owns a Mexican restaurant) and spent much of my adolescence in Dallas, Texas. I then moved to the central mountains of Colorado. SoCal, Big D and the Rocky Mountains are very different worlds. But then, I really enjoy new and varied experiences.

My previous career was in music where I worked as a professional classical and jazz musician for many years. Despite having a busy and successful career as a musician, I knew that there was much more that I wanted to do in life. As I researched other possible careers, I found myself called to the field of medicine. Medicine would offer the opportunity to work in my two most favorite arenas: science and people.

Science had always been in my life. My father, who was an aircraft engineer for Lockheed Aircraft, instilled in me a voracious curiosity. In my varied occupations as a motorcycle mechanic, piano technician, and musician, a scientific approach was indispensable. I have always appreciated how method and logic can lead you to understanding. For me, this approach is by far the most rewarding when I can use it in service of others. My mother, who was raised in an orphanage, ventured out into the world ultimately running her own business. She taught me to take on new, even scary challenges. She also instilled in me the strength of resolve (or pig-headed stubbornness, depending on who you ask).

My first real experience in medicine was in caring for my parents during their long illnesses. Though I had no idea at the time, this would be my inspiration to pursue a career as a physician. I saw in the actions of their doctors and nurses many examples of the impact one can have on the life of someone in need.

Though I kept an open mind during medical school, I knew from the beginning that Family Medicine was where I belonged. I believe that the best health care involves a whole person approach with an emphasis on prevention and health maintenance. I believe that this should be available to everyone, regardless of their background or economic status. And SCFM is a great fit for me. Here I can pursue my interests ranging from OMT to OB, from Asthma to Zoster. And I get to do all of this in an atmosphere of respect and support.

In my free time, I enjoy: cooking, motorcycling, guitars, basses, and anything outdoors. But, most of all, I love to spend time with family, friends and my too-good-for-me wife Camilla.

Let me first say I am thrilled to have matched at this residency program and can not wait to learn from and get to know these wonderful people! I’ve had a theme throughout my life where I just kind of “feel” when something is right. It’s how I ended up at a small liberal arts school in Iowa (after growing up in a wooded mountainous area of Washington), it’s how I chose my medical school in Des Moines, IA, and it’s how I chose this program.

Medical school taught me some of my hardest lessons, and one of those was to take time to fill my own cup. I took a year off between my 3rd and 4th year to do just this. I moved to San Francisco and worked as a barista (which I came to realize is NOT my life calling!) and with the help of a great therapist learned how to make my life more manageable and enjoyable. It’s during this time that I realized Family Medicine could give me everything I wanted in a career, and I set off searching for the perfect fit.

When I found, and interviewed at, SCFM I knew that this place would provide me with friendships, strong support from faculty who care about my mental health, further training in holistic medicine (like OMM and acupuncture), a robust OB experience, and a chance to help the most needy in the community with the migrant clinic. I also knew it was a place I could be happy with the endless sunshine and plethora of outdoor activities (including a lake for my fish of a golden retriever!).

I know I’ll be busy this year but I also know that I will thrive in this environment. I can’t wait to work my butt off and also keep my new garden watered, my dog happy, and my soul content with plenty of hikes. I’m confident I can do all of that and more here.

Kelsi Brown grew up in Fort Collins, CO where she enjoyed time on her grandparents farm and experiencing the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.   She attended Colorado Christian University, earning her Bachelor in Science. During her undergraduate studies she was actively involved in a club visiting the elderly to play bunco and mentoring underclass men through the Discipleship Program learning how to develop the the relationships she hopes to have with her patients.

After obtaining her degree, she worked as an emergency department scribe before pursuing her Master of Biomedical Science from Colorado State University. She then attended medical school at Rocky Vista University. There she discovered her love for family medicine because of its broad spectrum of care and the opportunity to form life-long relationships that can even span generations. She wanted to attend residency at Southern Colorado Family Medicine because of the medically underserved community and the breadth of training.

When she has free time, Kelsi enjoys spending time outdoors gardening, biking, and hiking, or curling up with a good book, playing board games, or watching Old Hollywood films. She is very excited to explore the trails and farmers markets in Pueblo and eat lots of green chili.

My car’s bumper sticker these days would read something like “Semi-Native.” Although, I am originally from Boston, MA, I moved to Colorado in 1999 and have lived here ever since. I grew up in the Ken Caryl valley area of Littleton, just an hour and a half north of Pueblo. I am very much a “valley boy” at heart and have spent many summers hiking the front range, fishing the streams and winters skiing the Rockies. I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Planetary Science from CU Boulder in 2013. Prior to starting medical school, I worked as a hospital phlebotomist which further inspired me to pursue a career in medicine through developing meaningful interactions with patients over these several years.

I attended medical school at Rocky Vista University in Parker, CO. During this time I developed a particular interest in academic research and even spent an extra year of training doing a fellowship at CSU in Fort Collins where I worked as a researcher. Our team helped illuminate several important risk factors involved with active pulmonary tuberculosis and how, in the future, we can hopefully curb infections rates in developing countries through nutritional supplementation. This experience was particularly valuable by providing key insights about how evidence-based research can guide future clinical practices.

I am extremely excited to join the team at Southern Colorado Family Medicine in Pueblo. I am continually inspired by the diverse patient population here and I look forward to delivering excellent and compassionate care. SCFM has such an outstanding faculty focused on training excellent residents. A few of the areas of medicine that are of particular interest to me are, evidence-based research guiding clinical improvements, preventative medicine, and sleep medicine.

Outside of the hospital you can find me cooking up some tasty homemade BBQ, stargazing with my backyard telescope, mountain biking, power napping, or relaxing with my favorite furry friend, Poppy.

My name is Patrick Henke and I am very excited to be joining the SCFMR team! I was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York. For my undergraduate studies, I attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where I majored in mathematics. I then attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I received a master’s of science in cell and molecular biology. Between graduate school and medical school, I worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a data specialist, and taught high school and middle school math at Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy in Minturn, Colorado. These experiences have shaped my interests in primary care and further strengthened my desire to work in a rural community.

I attended medical school at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Here my passions for primary care, population health, and the southwest continued to grow, and I found joy in many areas of patient care from working with kids to nursing home visits. I soon knew that Family Medicine was the perfect fit for me. As I thought about my residency, I was drawn to training in a rural program, staying in the southwest, the beautiful mountain setting, the rigorous, broad-scope training and especially the people of SCFMR. I feel extremely lucky to be taking the next step in my medical training and career here!

I enjoy spending as much of my free time in the outdoors – biking, running, skiing, or hiking – and I am excited by the prospects that Pueblo and Alamosa offers in all of these areas. I can’t wait to learn, work, and play with the great people in this wonderful setting.

While I was born in Louisiana, I came to Colorado as fast as possible and it will always be where I call home. Growing up in a rural part of Aurora, my brother and I ended up with our fair share of lacerations and broken bones, so my curiosity for medicine developed early during those frequent emergency room visits. My mother was also a nurse and I always admired her determination to help others and wanted to follow in her footsteps.

After completing high school, I attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. While completing my degree, I was a competitive skateboarder and snowboarder, and after graduation, I spent several years as a professional touring and competing internationally. When injuries forced me out of the sport, I turned to medicine and completed my medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, hoping to serve underprivileged populations and especially those affected by substance use disorders and other mental health maladies.

I met my wonderful wife in the years before medical school and we had two beautiful children during my early training. My wife and kids are my life and my time away from work is spent with them exploring Colorado, fishing, hiking, biking.  We also love to dance, play baseball, football, board games, draw, and play chess.

I instantly fell in love with the Southern Colorado Family Medicine Program during my interview because of the amazing faculty and residents that I met and the many opportunities the program offers. I took my wife to visit the city and she fell in love with the area because of its natural beauty. We are all tremendously excited to be a part of the program and look forward to joining the Pueblo community.

I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, where I lived until I was 13 years old. I spent some time in Mexico with my dad before eventually moving to Miami, FL with my mom. I attended high school in Miami where I first discovered my passion for medicine after helping my best friend through an arduous recovery from a soccer injury that had her sidelined for the entire year.

I later attended Florida International University, where I got my Bachelor's degree and met my future husband. After undergrad, we went to different parts of the country to continue our education; I ended up in Nevada to attend Touro University Nevada's osteopathic medicine program, and he worked on his Master's degree at CU Boulder. During these years, I regularly visited Colorado and fell in love with all it had to offer!

After graduating, I moved to Texas and took a detour through the world of surgery before realizing that, although I loved the procedures and hands-on approach to medicine, I was missing the deeper and long-lasting connections with my patients. I found family medicine, and I felt like I fit right in! On my journey into the next chapter, I found SCFM - a program with a strong curriculum, ample hands-on experience, and the flexibility to shape my learning to the type of practice I aim to lead. More importantly, the people I met here, residents and faculty alike, are the program’s greatest asset. I am so excited to be joining the family!

I’m a sports fanatic, so during my time off I enjoy not only watching and attending various games, but also playing! I enjoy playing soccer (duh!), volleyball, football, beach tennis (it’s a thing in Brazil!) and many other outdoor activities like snowboarding, disc golfing, and hiking. I’m an avid Peloton rider and enjoy weightlifting as well. Although I love being active, I also love having movie nights and having people over! My husband and our two dogs are excited to be coming to Colorado to enjoy all this wonderful state has to offer, and seeing how well this Brazilian does in the snow and cold weather!

I was born in Roorkee, India and immigrated to the United States when I was eight. I grew up in the Orlando metropolitan area in Florida where I also completed my undergraduate at Rollins College with a degree in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. During college I developed a passion for biological sciences and community outreach of which a career in medicine seemed to be the natural conclusion. After graduating I started medical school at PCOM Georgia in Atlanta.

I decided to pursue family medicine because I very much enjoyed developing deep and personal relationships with patients and communities. I like being able to follow and contribute to the well-being of families for years. I also enjoy the diversity in cases one sees on a day to day basis. I choose SCFM because it is an unopposed program that prioritizes serving its community.

I was also very much drawn to the location. I have always wanted to live near mountains with ample trails for hiking and outdoor activities. I also appreciate the fact that Denver and Colorado Springs are not too far away. Some other hobbies I enjoy are playing tennis, reading, visiting museums and historical sites, and traveling the countryside.