May 11
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The UMKC School of Medicine celebrated its second class of graduates from the Master of Science in Anesthesia (MSA) Program on Saturday, May 7, at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
James Gibbons, M.D., assistant clinical professor of Allied Health and director of Education for the Department of Anesthesiology at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, delivered the keynote address. Melanie Guthrie, M.S.A., A.A.-C., assistant professor of Allied Health and director of the School of Medicine’s MSA program, presented graduate Anna Martinez with the Student Ambassador Award and recognized graduate Joshua Leet for his service as the UMKC student representative to the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants.
Following are UMKC’s 2011 Master of Science in Anesthesia graduates, who share some of their thoughts on their career choice and their experience in the UMKC School of Medicine MSA program.
Rebecca Hoye, M.S.A.Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri “I feel extremely well prepared for my professional career. The clinical and classroom instructors are very dedicated to providing a quality educational experience. I feel the UMKC AA clinical instructors are the program’s strongest attribute. The instructors are attentive to students needs and personalize his or her relationship with each student to bring out the best anesthesia provider he or she can be.” |
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Anna Martinez, M.S.A.Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas “When applying to the MSA program, the more I learned about it, the more it sounded like a great option. I was very pleased with the clinical experience offered at UMKC. As students, we were exposed to different types of practitioners in different hospitals. I feel that the variety in clinical sites will definitely make us good practitioners. I think the UMKC MSA program has definitely been the right choice for me.” |
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Joshua LeetHometown: Parsons, Kansas “After graduating with my bachelor’s in biology, I went on to obtain a masters degree in acupuncture followed by a bachelor’s in nursing. While in nursing school, I was exposed to the field of anesthesia and was hooked. When I heard about the AA program opening at UMKC, I jumped at the opportunity to become an anesthetist via this important alternative pathway.” |
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Christine Glennon, M.S.AHometown: St. Louis, Missouri |
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