New physicians join Bothwell-University of Missouri Rural Family Medicine Residency

Bothwell Regional Health Center and the University of Missouri School of Medicine recently welcomed two new resident physicians to the Bothwell-University of Missouri Rural Family Medicine Residency.

Dr. Conrad Walley and Dr. Kusum Choudhary are the newest additions to the three-year program, which trains family physicians in a rural setting. They will spend their first year training in Sedalia and Columbia, followed by two years based full-time in Sedalia.

Walley grew up in rural Missouri and said a personal health experience early in life shaped his path to medicine. As a child, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and the care he received from doctors and nurses left a lasting impression. 

“I spent a lot of my childhood around doctors and nurses and wanted to be able to help people like they helped me,” Walley said. He went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Walley was drawn to family medicine for its breadth, which allows him to work across a wide variety of specialties and patient needs. He said completing his residency in a rural setting felt like a natural fit given his background and commitment to the communities he hopes to serve.

“Growing up in a rural area, bringing the knowledge and skills to provide health care for the people in my community was something important to me,” he said. “Looking at my background and my training, it feels like I have been preparing for rural primary care for the whole of my medical education.”

During residency, Walley said his goal is to become a well-rounded physician and help find new and more efficient ways to educate patients about their health and care. Outside of medicine, he enjoys tabletop and video games, reading, cooking, hunting and target shooting.

Choudhary brings more than 18 years of clinical experience to the program. She grew up in a small rural town near the India-Pakistan border and was inspired to pursue medicine after losing her younger sister to a preventable illness. She completed her medical education in India and went on to practice as an obstetrician-gynecologist within the Punjab government health care system, caring primarily for rural and underserved communities.

After moving to the United States, she completed clinical observerships and found herself drawn to family medicine for its broad scope and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with patients and families.

“I wanted residency training geared toward rural practice with a strong focus on community, continuity of care and family medicine with obstetrics,” Choudhary said. “Bothwell felt like a place where I can grow both professionally and personally, and I am excited to make Sedalia my family’s new home.”

Choudhary said her years managing high-risk pregnancies, obstetric emergencies and cancer screening programs in resource-limited settings deepened her belief in the importance of comprehensive, community-based care and ultimately led her to family medicine.

“Throughout my career, I worked primarily in rural and underserved communities where physicians often cared for a wide range of conditions beyond their specialty,” she said. “Family medicine allows me to care for patients across all ages and stages of life, and I believe it is the foundation of community health care.”

She said the program’s emphasis on obstetrics was a particular draw, and that her obstetrics/gynecology background gives her a unique perspective to bring to that work.

“My training has given me extensive experience in women’s health and some of the most important moments in patients’ lives,” Choudhary said. “I am excited to contribute that experience to Bothwell’s program while continuing to grow as a physician.”

Choudhary and her husband are raising a blended family of four children. Outside of medicine, she enjoys dancing, cooking and spending time with family and participating in community activities.

Dr. Misty Todd, residency director and a family medicine and obstetrics physician at Bothwell Cole Camp Clinic, said Walley and Choudhary are strong additions to the program.

“Dr. Walley and Dr. Choudhary each bring a genuine commitment to rural medicine and a desire to serve their communities,” Todd said. “Their different backgrounds and experiences are a tremendous asset to our program and to the patients they will care for.”

Walley and Choudhary join Dr. Hayden Hackman, Dr. Joseph Stegman, Dr. Jamie Spears and Dr. Gabriel Dudley in residency who are all taking new patients. To make an appointment with a resident physician, call Bothwell Family Medicine Associates at 660.827.2883.