Jordan Drazer, M.D.
I was born and raised on a farm in Kouts, a small town in northwest Indiana. I was the second oldest child in a family of seven (my parents, three sisters, and a brother). I moved to West Lafayette, Indiana for college and received a B.S. in Biochemical Engineering from Purdue University in 2001. I earned my medical degree from Indiana University-Indianapolis in 2006. I traveled to Muncie for a senior elective in Medicine and really enjoyed my month long rotation. Everyone at Ball Memorial Hospital was friendly, supportive, and willing to lend a helping hand at any time! I truly felt at home at BMH and was excited to match here for my intern year. The Transitional Year at Ball is very flexible and offers a wide variety of rotations. Following my year in Muncie, I will be moving out east to complete my residency in Anesthesiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. I enjoy traveling overseas and have traveled to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Kenya for various medical mission projects. I plan to be involved in international volunteer work throughout my career as an Anesthesiologist. My other hobbies include kickboxing, running, cooking, gardening, spending time with my family, and visiting my boyfriend who is working overseas.

Jennifer Eikenberry, M.D.
I was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. After graduating from North High School, I went on to attend Indiana University where I majored in biology with a minor in psychology and also enjoyed taking cello lessons through the music school. I stayed to attend the Bloomington Center of the Indiana University School of Medicine and graduated in May of 2006. I got married one week later, and my husband, Ivan, and I are currently enjoying living in Muncie, and exploring the town. The transitional residency program at Ball Memorial interested me because I felt that it would be a very supportive environment in which to learn, and the residents, seemed friendly and happy. So far, this has definitely been true of the program. Next year, I plan to return to Indiana University to complete my residency in Ophthalmology.

Mandy Huggins, M.D.
I grew up near Indianapolis, on the east side. I went to Purdue University for my undergraduate education (and to watch football). I completed medical school at Indiana University; I was at the Fort Wayne Center for the first two years. I first learned about the Ball transitional program from some friends who were transitional residents at the time. They had nothing but good things to say about the program, which to me was a very good sign. The environment here is resident-friendly and conducive to learning. After my year at Ball Memorial, I will be doing a PM & R residency at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. I enjoy traveling, live music, sports, wine, movies, and working out. Fortunately, I found a program flexible enough to allow me to enjoy these things outside of work.

Robert King, M.D.
I was born and raised in Southern California. I attended Purdue University for undergrad and Indiana University for medical school. I am friends with several residents who have completed a transitional year here. When talking about this program they all said the same thing, “You HAVE to do your transitional year at Ball. It’s a great year”. After spending a day here interviewing, meeting the residents, and hearing about the program I was sold. Ball Memorial has so much to offer including a strong medical education program, a relaxed atmosphere, happy, like-minded residents, and friendly faculty in a community-based setting. I currently live in Indianapolis with my wife, Amy. I did have reservations about making the trek up to Muncie on a daily basis. However, the drive is easy and well worth the benefits of being at Ball Memorial. In my free time I ruin golf courses all over Indianapolis, play guitar, pretend I’m Bob Villa at home, and spend time with Amy. After my transitional year I will complete my residency in Radiology at Indiana University.

Brian Knapp, M.D.
I was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana and left the nest to earn my undergraduate degree at Wabash College, a B.S. in biology with minors in religion and chemistry. After spending a year volunteering in England, where I met my now wife, Rowena, I returned to Indiana University for medical school. During the interview process and many (far too many) interviews, Ball Memorial continually rose to the top on account of its friendliness, flexibility, and educational opportunities. This year, I look forward to enjoying the small town atmosphere, cultural activities (Minnetrista, Ball State, Farmer’s Market), and outdoors (Cardinal and White River Greenways, Mounds State Park) in Muncie, while simultaneously gaining a strong foundation for my future categorical residency. Next year, my wife and I will be moving to Milwaukee and my training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Scott Paulsen, M.D.
I lived in the same house in Salt Lake City through high school. Then, in the following seven years, I lived in Jerusalem for six months, Germany for two years, Brazil for eight months, with the remainder of the time spent in Provo, Utah at BYU. I then moved to Rochester, MN where I went to medical school at the Mayo Clinic. I will be returning to Rochester after my stay in Muncie to complete training in radiology. I am married, to Sarah Condon, and have two children, Tessa (4) and Abel (1). While moving twice is certainly a pain, the upside of training at Ball Memorial is so great, in my opinion, that shuttling about seems a small price to pay. While in Muncie, I plan on spending time with my family, logging personal best mileage cycling and running, and catching up on all the reading I put off through medical school. Nonetheless, I am convinced that the education and practice opportunities provided during this year will prepare me well for moonlighting during residency and as a practicing radiologist.

Heather Smith, M.D.
I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. I received my B.A. in biology with a minor in mathematics from Purdue University at Indianapolis. I spent all four years of my medical school education at Indiana University in Indianapolis. While looking for a Transitional Year program, I realized how truly happy the residents at Ball Memorial were. Ball Memorial offers a great education in one of the friendliest environments. After this year, I will be returning to Indiana University at Indianapolis to complete my residency training in ophthalmology. I have been married to my husband, Joe, for three years and we enjoy cooking, gardening, and playing tennis together as well as other outdoor activities.

Larry Stover, M.D.
I grew up in Logansport, Indiana. I did my undergraduate work at Indiana University-Kokomo where I received a B.A. in biology. I attended medical school at Indiana University and was located in Indianapolis for all four years. After I complete my transitional year at Ball Hospital, I will be returning to Indianapolis and IU for radiology. I recently got married to my wife Rosanne who will be a Physical Therapist at Ball Hospital. My hobbies include playing and watching sports. I chose Ball Hospital’s Transitional Year program because of its friendly and laid-back atmosphere. Due to growing up in Logansport, I preferred the more welcoming nature that is associated with smaller cities. Everyone I have encountered has been more than eager to teach. In addition, the presence of Ball State University provides the city of Muncie with a lot to do in terms of shopping, dining, and entertainment.