Mark Foland, MD

Univ. of Kansas

I was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas, about an hour west of Kansas City.  I attended Baker University, a small liberal arts school on a football and academic scholarship.  Fortunately I suffered only minimal brain injury while in college and was able to get my degree in Biology. 

I have my open water scuba diving certification and have traveled to Germany to play against a semi-pro football team.  More importantly, I met my lovely wife in college, who has helped me every step of the way. 

Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my wife and 2 year-old son.  I’m a mild sports nut on the side and usually keep the TV on ESPN unless told otherwise. 

I enjoy the abundant procedures here at our residency.  We enjoy the many parks in Corpus, as well as the low cost of living, excellent Mexican food, great weather, and close beaches.

Todd Francis, DO

Kansas City UMB

I began my career in medicine with the United States Navy as a Corpsman.  I later went to undergrad at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, and attended medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

I have spent over 15 years working on an ambulance crew and 5 years as a member of an air medical transport team in several areas around the country including rural Kansas and Missouri, Oklahoma, and on several Native American reservations in New Mexico and Arizona.

Home for me has been in a rural farming community in Southeast Kansas where I was raised working hard and developing a great love for the outdoors!  I continue to enjoy most any outdoor activity including maintaining our 80-acre farm in Kansas, raising cattle, gardening, hunting, and backpacking.  My wife and I have been married since 1997 and have 5 wonderful children and two Rat Terriers.  As a family we enjoy biking, hiking, fishing, camping, water activities, traveling, watching movies, and reading together (among other things).

One of the things I like about the Corpus Christi program is the size.  Personalized attention is given to both procedural skills and academic achievement.  The town is beautiful and fits our family's goals for a smaller community with great outdoor opportunities year round.  We've found the culture welcoming and filled with excellent dining, entertainment, and historical sights which we are eager to explore.  We also enjoy the proximity to San Antonio for that "big city" experience.

Marlene Morales, MD

UT- San Antonio

I am the youngest of five children, including an amazing twin sister.  No, we do not look alike, and yes, we do have the twin intuition.  I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas.  I played soccer from the age of 5 up until the day I was tackled at a flag football charity game that bestowed me the honor of experiencing firsthand the unhappy triad!  

I completed my undergraduate work at the University of Texas at San Antonio receiving a BS in Biology.  I went on to attend medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.  It was during my forth year there that I took the opportunity to visit Corpus Christi and rotate through the ED for a month.  I must say that I truly enjoyed the experience so much that I did not rotate anywhere else.  I knew that this program was the one for me.  I specifically enjoy the one on one learning opportunity with the specialist and the lack of competition for patients with other residencies.  It was obvious to me that the EM residents were highly regarded here in the hospital and in the community. 

On my time off I love to cook, spend time with my family, watch sports (GO SPURS GO) and hang out with my dog, Gino (short for Ginobili).  I also have a thing for different colored shoes.  Corpus is a great city.  The obvious attraction is the luxury of having a beach in our own backyard.  My goal is to learn how to kite surf during my time here.

Joseph Olson, DO

Lake Erie COM 

I grew up on a small farming community (population 256) in southwest Minnesota.  I eventually escaped from the town where the grocery store was open only every other day, the tallest building was the grain elevator, and the gas station never had any gas.  I played basketball for 2 years at Worthington Community College and gained my fascination for science.  I finished my college at the University of Minnesota in Duluth.  Before medical school, I worked 3 years as a forestry firefighter for the National Forestry Service.  It was a great job as I started working on a hand crew and later as an EMT.  I mostly assisted in state and natural disasters across the country. 

I  like the smaller resident class size of 8 residents per year, and the fact that the faculty are great teachers and want you to succeed.  There is plenty of opportunity for procedures.  I live on Padre Island with a 5-minute walk to the beach.  I enjoy fishing, kayaking, and surfing.

Jason Shanker, DO

Kansas City UMB

I am from Overland Park, Kansas, and attended the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!).  I recently took up kiteboarding and am really excited to take advantage of the wind and beautiful weather here in Corpus.  My other hobbies include leisure reading, tennis, live music, and PS3.

I like the volume of procedures here and lack of competition from other residency programs within our hospital.  Also, I feel that the residents and attendings maintain a close relationship, facilitating a familiar and comfortable learning environment.

Allan Simpson, MD

University of Arizona

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and went to college at the University of Arizona in Tucson where I majored in Molecular and Cell Biology. 

While in medical school I traveled to Ecuador for a few months to learn Spanish.  I enjoy keeping up with news and politics, following the Arizona Cardinals, bike riding, seeing new places and learning about them, and kicking back poolside with a Dos Equis with lime.

I like our residency because of the good off-service rotations with almost no call, plenty of trauma and good pathology, and interested attendings who enjoy teaching. 

 Corpus has a lot of nice people, no traffic, close to the beach, warm weather, and plenty of great Mexican food!