I grew up in Irmo, South Carolina. My grandparents were from the low country small towns of Hampton and Allendale, and I have always loved the lower part of the state. Dad’s family were dairy farmers and Mom’s family owned and operated the grocery store in Allendale. It was on the old dairy farm that I learned what it means to live simply and self-sufficiently. I also learned how to work with animals and on farm machinery, cars and motorcycles.
My mom’s parents had a beach house in Bluffton and we all couldn’t wait to be down here every summer. It has always been the place where we feel the most relaxed.
After graduating from Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, I went on to Clemson University where I got a BS degree in Bioengineering. I enjoyed engineering but felt I needed to find a way to help people directly. This led to applying to medical school and in the end, I was accepted to MUSC. It was in medical school that I began to realize that primary care is the place where the important things happen. Strong patient-physician relationships form in a way that is less possible in other specialties and if done well, primary care is where the most important thing in all of medicine is done – preventing disease.
After graduating from medical school, I went on to residency at AnMed in Anderson, SC. It was here that I began to realize that our healthcare system is broken and there must be a better way. I eventually learned about Direct Primary Care and I knew I had to find a way to practice medicine this way.
After three tough years of residency I had graduated as a Board Certified Family Physician, and it was time to figure out what shape I wanted the next few decades to take. My parents had retired and moved to Bluffton 2 years before, and I decided that after being away from them nearly 15 years it was time to move closer to them. I started looking in the area and found a doctor that was well respected and practicing exactly the type of medicine I wanted to practice. I reached out to her and was generous enough to meet with me. A few months later I found myself a part of Dr. Knobel’s practice and I couldn’t be more thrilled and grateful to be doing what I’ve always been called to do in a way that I truly believe is superior to the main stream.
I’m so excited for the future here in Bluffton and for the things that are possible with Direct Primary Care. I feel so fortunate to be starting on this journey providing care the way it should be provided for years to come.