Undergraduate: Michigan State University

Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

Internship: Brookwood Baptist Health

Career Interests: Sports Medicine, Pain Medicine, Interventional Spine

Personal Interests: Family, eating healthy (ish), weightlifting, guitar, backpacking, pickleball, disc golf

Why did you choose UAB? I chose UAB for the culture of academic excellence but also for the chance to work alongside a group of dedicated, driven residents, faculty, and staff to serve the people of Alabama.

Undergraduate: Auburn University

Medical School: UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Internship: Brookwood Baptist Health

Career Interests: Sports Medicine, Interventional Spine, Interventional Ultrasound Therapies

Personal Interests: Fitness, dog walks, fly fishing, visiting national parks, playing soccer, tennis, pickle ball, watching EPL soccer, watching films, trying new restaurants

Why did you choose UAB? Picking UAB was an easy decision for me. Having completed medical school at UAB, I spent a great deal of time with the PM&R department. From my time spent there, I saw the excellent faculty, staff, and, most importantly, the exceptional residents this program produced. This program offers exposure to the major divisions of inpatient physiatry while also providing abundant opportunities to see the subspecialties available for outpatient physiatrists. Knowing that UAB’s PM&R department had clear plans for growth and development in the near future, including the construction of state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital and development of a brand-new musculoskeletal ultrasound curriculum, choosing to train at UAB couldn’t have been an easier choice.

Undergraduate: Wake Forest University

Medical School: UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Internship: Brookwood Baptist Health

Career Interests: Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy Care

Personal Interests: Cooking, Anime, Fitness, and Pickle Ball

Why did you choose UAB? UAB is the best place to get a holistic training to all the different facets of PM&R. They have great mentors and resources in both adult and pediatric rehab. On top of it all, Birmingham is a wonderful affordable city that allows you to live a good life as a resident.

Undergraduate: Ouachita Baptist University

Medical School: University of Arkansas College of Medicine

Internship: Brookwood Baptist Health

Career Interests: Neuro Rehab, General Rehab, EMG, Spasticity Management

Personal Interests: Exploring Birmingham, going on walks with my family, playing/watching sports, and eating/cooking

Why did you choose UAB? During my away rotation here, I could tell this program was special. The academics are top notch. People here truly care about you and enjoy being together even outside of work. I also love the city of Birmingham and that it is centrally located in the Southeast.

Undergraduate: The University of Texas at Austin

Medical School: UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Career Interests: General Rehab, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Amputee/Prosthetics

Personal Interests: Spoiling my golden-doodle Travis Kelce Scott Barker. Forcing my better half to play pickle ball and backgammon with me. Perfecting my chocolate mousse pie recipe. Exploring Alabama nature. Spending quality time with family and friends.

Why did you choose UAB? As a native Texan completing medical school at UAB, I fell in love with the charming city that is Birmingham and everything it has to offer. The students, faculty, and staff also made this place home away from home. Even more so, there has been no greater joy than working with the UAB PM&R department by learning from distinguished educators in the field. The strong reputation of the program, camaraderie amongst residents, along with the diverse and balanced training at UAB medical center made it a no-brainer that I wanted to stay another four years!

Undergraduate: University of Kentucky

Medical School: University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Career Interests: Spinal Cord Injury, General Rehab, MSK, Neuromuscular Medicine, Spasticity Management

Personal Interests: Sand volleyball, pickle ball, all things UK sports (especially basketball), needlepointing, trying new coffee shops, going for walks 

Why did you choose UAB? I chose UAB because even from a virtual interview, I could truly feel the collegiality among faculty and residents. I knew I would not only be getting excellent academic/clinical training and exposure to the breadth of PM&R at UAB, but also a program that cares about me personally as well. I also love the location of Birmingham in the Southeast!

Undergraduate: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Medical School: UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Career interests: General Rehab, Brain Injury Medicine, Stroke Rehab, MSK, Ultrasound 

Personal Interests: traveling, snuggling with my pup, trying new restaurants, spending time with friends at local breweries, gardening

Why I chose UAB: UAB was a natural choice for me. As a UAB Heersink alumnus, I witnessed the exceptional quality and evolution of the PM&R department, including its faculty, staff, and residents. I am excited to join a well-rounded program on a dynamic growth trajectory, especially with the upcoming new Spain Rehab building and interdisciplinary collaborations. I am honored to have the chance to train under renowned faculty and explore various subspecialties in both inpatient and outpatient physiatry. Additionally, the supportive community of therapists, nurses, and pharmacists made UAB the perfect place for my residency.

Undergraduate: University of South Florida

Medical School: Florida State University College of Medicine

Career Interests: Interventional Pain, General Rehab, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury

Personal Interests: Cooking, gardening, playing volleyball, and spending time at the beach

Why I chose UAB: I chose UAB for a multitude of reasons with the most prominent being the unity displayed between residents, faculty, and staff. Additional factors revolve around UAB being a well-established medical center that serves a diverse patient population. Birmingham is a beautiful city filled with adventure and I am excited to call it home.

Undergraduate: Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Medical School: Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine

Career Interests: I am unsure but considering general inpatient PM&R or possibly a fellowship. I am interested in a bit of everything in PM&R, so I am open to anything!

Personal Interests: Auburn Tigers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Harry Potter movies and books, and yoga

Why I chose UAB: I chose UAB for residency because the people in this program consistently made me feel at home throughout my time here. I knew this residency program would provide me with excellent training and vast exposure to the world of physical medicine and rehabilitation, while also giving me the opportunity to work with great faculty and residents who are just as interested in teaching and expanding my knowledge as I am!

Undergraduate: Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA

Medical School: University of South Alabama College of Medicine

Career Interests: Spinal Cord Injury, Musculoskeletal Medicine, Pain Medicine, Interventional Spine

Personal Interests: Weightlifting, traveling, visiting art museums, trying new restaurants, tennis/pickleball, and spending time with family

Why I chose UAB: I was drawn to UAB's residency program for the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, the opportunity for excellent mentorship, and to return to my hometown of Birmingham.

Undergraduate: The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.

Medical School: University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine

Career Interests: Interventional Spine/MSK, Diagnostic/Therapeutic ultrasound and Neuromuscular ultrasound, Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury, Integrative Medicine, General Rehab, and Space Medicine

Personal Interests: Making good puns/dad jokes, anime, enjoying a good beach day, hiking, weightlifting, basketball, ping pong, collecting magnets with my wife (Belle), visiting the zoo, leveling up my Filipino cooking, therapeutic cleaning and organizing, being a tourist, and exploring an area through its ice cream shops/flavors

Why I chose UAB: What drew me to UAB’s PM&R program was its comprehensive curriculum, strong research opportunities, and forward-thinking approach. As someone who is naturally curious and interested in many areas of physiatry, I was excited by how much the program offers – adaptive sports, wound care, cancer rehabilitation, PNO, spina bifida clinic, VA clinics, and more. There is always something to explore. UAB is a nationally recognized academic institution known for both clinical and research excellence. It is home to two Model Systems, and the faculty are actively involved in research, making it an ideal environment for someone to contribute to the field. The newly expanded MSK curriculum especially stood out to me, with increased exposure to musculoskeletal medicine, interventional procedures, and training in both MSK and neuromuscular ultrasound. Moreover, the addition of the NASS Interventional Spine and MSK Medicine Fellowship, alongside the new Spain Rehabilitation Hospital, shows just how committed UAB is to staying at the forefront of the field. Beyond the program itself, I was also drawn to the city of Birmingham with its natural beauty, affordable cost of living, and overall quality of life that make it an incredible place to live and train.

Undergraduate: The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Career Interests: Pain & Interventional Spine fellowships as well as working with the veteran and amputee populations

Personal Interests: Outside of work and caring for my family, I enjoy history, sci-fi, philosophy, Christian literature, martial arts, disc golf, puzzles, board games, classical guitar, and cooking

Why I chose UAB: UAB has had a world-class reputation in Alabama for as long as I can remember, and it is the closest PM&R program to my family.